‘Step it Up: Battle of the Sexes’ fall program results
Elon faculty and staff stepped it up last semester, increasing their daily walking activity and supporting Kopper Top Life Learning Center. Male and female faculty and staff on campus and at Physical Plant competed to log the most miles, and Elon’s Wellness Office promised to donate $5 for each 150 miles the teams walked to Kopper Top, up to $500. Together, the Colts team (males) and Fillies team (females) walked more than 27,400 miles. At the program’s conclusion, participants joined the Wellness Office for a celebratory luncheon and presentation of the $500 donation to Kopper Top, accepted by owner Deborah Meredith.
Wondering who won the challenge?
The Colts took the crown both on campus and at Physical Plant. On campus, the five-participant Colts team held the highest miles walked per week, per participant (547 miles). The Fillies team, consisting of 30 members, logged an average of 439 miles. At Physical Plant, the Colts boasted 32 members who walked an average of 182 miles, while the 18-member Fillies team averaged 160 miles per person.
Why exercise?
If you’ve ever worked with the Wellness Office, you know we promote exercise as one of the best means to stay healthy, and it’s more than just about losing weight. Studies show that as you age and lose muscle mass, your immune system weakens, making your body more susceptible to infectious diseases, even cancer.
The proteins stored in muscles are the building blocks of the immune system’s superheroes – white blood cells and antibodies. Having strong muscles provides a ready supply of protein to fuel your immune system. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that aging alone does not cause muscles to shrink – a lack of exercise does, too. As you age, muscles will diminish if you don’t stay active, and therefore you will have fewer proteins to help your immune system build antibodies and fight germs. Antibodies are also crucial in detecting and killing the abnormal cells that cause cancer.
Elon’s Wellness Program and Campus Recreation offer a variety of services and programs to help get you moving toward a healthier lifestyle. For more information, visit our Web site by clicking the link to the right.
By Cindy Novak, Wellness Coordinator