A campaign of healthy competition and healthy activity has got members of Congress moving more this month in a bid to raise awareness of the importance of physical activity.
After another successful year of getting Congressional representatives and government policy makers moving across the U.S., the 2023 Congressional Physical Activity Challenge is set for another month of walking, running, playing and rewarding every active effort in partnership with wearable fitness brand Myzone and national physical activity coalition the Physical Activity Alliance (PAA).
Congress taking on a month of movement in Washington D.C.
Open to all members of Congress and their Washington, D.C., staff, each participant will record their exercise and activities using an MZ-Switch heart rate monitor during the challenge. They will earn Myzone Effort Points (MEPS) for every minute of exercise they undertake.
The Congressional Challenge runs throughout the month of May and coincides with National Physical Fitness and Sports Month to raise awareness of the importance of physical activity and improving the wellbeing of the nation.
Winners are named based on individual achievement, office achievement and most office staff participants able to reach the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines of at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity per week.
This equates to 1300 MEPs per month.
It's time to raise awareness of just how easy exercise can be
“Recording their exercise with the MZ-Switch, every Congressional office member put in an impressive amount of effort in last year’s challenge,” explains Mike Leveque, Myzone CEO for the Americas.
“It shows how important it is to raise awareness of just how easy exercise can be, using the right tools to motivate and inspire movement.
“The Myzone team is passionate about getting more people physically active around the world, and we can’t think of a better way than working with the U.S. government, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) and the PAA.”
President Joe Biden and The White House call for better access to activity
As part of a statement from the White House briefing room, President Joe Biden called upon US citizens to make daily physical activity a priority as an essential part of healthy living.
“This month, I encourage all Americans to find ways to be active,” says President Biden. “Whether it is taking a walk or hike, joining a gym, trying a new fitness class, signing up for a local sports team, or registering for a community race. I also call on state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, as well as business leaders, to make physical activity more accessible to all.
“When we invest in our health, we foster healthy homes, more productive communities and a more resilient society for generations to come.”
Working to enable all Americans to enjoy physically active lives
Hosting the challenge in partnership with Myzone, the mission of the Physical Activity Alliance is to lead efforts to create, support, and advocate policy and system changes that enable all Americans to enjoy physically active lives.
“National Physical Fitness and Sports Month has been observed annually since 1983,” explains Amy Bantham, president of the PAA.
“Only one in four U.S. adults meet the recommended physical activity guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity.
“We’re proud to work with Congress and Myzone in raising awareness of the importance of exercise, and look forward to congratulating the winners of this year’s Physical Activity Challenge.”
Participants in the Congressional Physical Activity Challenge will be competing in the following categories:
- Top Individual Point Earner
- Top Office Point Earner
- Top Office Point Average (must have four or more participants)
- Most office staff participants to reach the World Health Organization Guidelines for Physical Activity (1300 Myzone Effort Points).
Using wearables to make exercise motivating and rewarding
Mike also joined Amy as her guest on the Move to Live More podcast, discussing the benefits of wearable technology on keeping people active. You can listen to the episode on Spotify below.
For more information visit the episode homepage at Using Wearables to Make Exercise Motivating and Rewarding - Myzone.
