Due to the pandemic, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock had to find new, creative ways to keep students active.

Last semester, they began the Active April Challenge, where students were then tasked with posting a picture of their completed activities on social media.

“We started the virtual challenges this past April after having to adjust for quarantine. With students having to leave campus last semester along with the fitness center closing due to COVID-19, we wanted to provide them with activities to do during quarantine,” said Karmen Robinson, coordinator of intramural activities at UA Little Rock.

Due to popular demand, Campus Recreation decided to bring back the challenge this month by creating #StepUpSeptember. The activities include walking 5,000 steps in one day, drinking 16 ounces of water, going for a 25-minute walk, signing up for a virtual UA Little Rock fitness class, and many others. Campus Recreation also added one more week to encourage students to stay active while also maintaining university social distancing regulations.

Students receive one point per daily activity, and the top three students with the most points will receive a gift card.

In addition to #StepUpSeptember, Campus Recreation also began offering eSports leagues and live-stream fitness classes to provide the students and employees with more virtual activities as well. Faculty and staff can also participate in the challenge.

For more information, please contact Karmen Robinson at klrobinson10@ualr.edu.