This fall, members of the UC Berkeley community were challenged to “Work it for 150” as part of a series of on-going digital fitness challenges hosted by the Berkeley - Under Armour Challenge committee. The committee, made up of representatives from the undergraduate and graduate class; Cal Dining; Recreational Sports; University Health Services; and the University Partnership Program (UPP), worked with Under Armour to inspire campus health and fitness goals and celebrate the university’s 150th birthday.
Although this is the third fitness challenge for UC Berkeley, this semester is the first team-oriented competition that encouraged individuals to work together as a group under a chosen team––students, faculty, staff, alumni, or fans of the university. “Health and wellness is a larger overarching goal for our campus,” said Anissa Hagedorn, UPP Activations Manager. “What better way to bring our community together than through a unique virtual challenge that encourages team camaraderie to reach one’s fitness goals.”
Participants were encouraged to log a minimum of 15 workouts over the course of 30 days in order to be eligible to win a Berkeley swag bag or custom Curry 5’s. Over 3,500 individuals participated in the challenge, with fans of the university leading the charge logging 26,197 workouts out of the 38,132 total workouts. Registering for the challenge as a team did not prohibit individual participation, but acted as an extra incentive for each team to claim campus bragging rights. Additionally, users had the flexibility to log their choice of fitness exercises such as yoga, swimming, or walking, as long as they completed 20+ minutes of daily activity.
Future Challenges
The challenges change slightly each semester, but the goal remains the same–bringing the UC Berkeley community together through fitness. “On average, the results of our Berkeley - Under Armour challenges have been successful, engaging over 1,000+ participants each semester with the committee typically choosing the themes around current campus events or initiatives. Last semester’s Miles for Meals Challenge encouraged the community to reach a goal of 150,000 miles logged in support of the campus’s basic needs programs. This semester focused on bringing individuals together to celebrate our campus,” said Hagedorn.
Prizing awards are also expected to expand outside of Under Armour gear to potentially include company headquarter visits, campus celebration events, and other travel or experience packages. This semester’s fitness challenge included an opportunity for students and the community to vote on a custom campus design of the Curry 5 shoe featuring the school’s colors. Voting was conducted via social media with the winning design used as part of the grand prize giveaway.
Hagedorn noted that she enjoys working with members of the committee because “[we] each offer a different perspective on the challenge and it’s overall purpose. However, as a team we are all health-focused, so our goals really align throughout.” The committee is currently planning next semester’s challenge. For more information on upcoming challenges, or to provide ideas to the committee, visit please visit the UC Berkeley - Under Armour Campus Challenges page