Let's Move Iowa
The MoveYourWayIA campaign is a grassroots effort to make Iowa a more active state. You know the benefits and that is why you are here! Help spread the word by making a pledge and challenging others to do the same.
Your first move takes three steps
- Make your pledgeFinish the sentence: “This week, I will get active by…” A walk at lunch, a bike ride, dancing in the kitchen. Pick something real that fits your week.
- Share it with someoneTell a friend, text a coworker or post it. Sharing with one person counts, and posting publicly is up to you.
- Join and log it on GivePulseJoin Move Your Way Iowa, choose your county and record your pledge. If you're new to GivePulse you'll create a free account first. Your county then shows up on the map.
Make Your Pledge
Take action and join the Movement to Move. The act is simple but significant!
Your pledge can be made on the state level page or the county page of your choice. Click the link below to learn more. Select ‘Subgroups’ to find your county. Select the Resources tab for details. Make the Move!
Pledge on GivePulseBring your people
Sign on as an Affiliate to help share out the MoveYourWay messaging. This is ideal for worksites, schools, churches and other organizations. Our CCPH team will give you everything you need to get started. Make the Move!
Get your group involvedEnroll Your Campus
The MoveYourWayIA campaign can be extended to support active living and related outreach on college campuses. Specific strategies and toolkits are available for campus groups or leaders interested in bringing the MoveYourWayIA to their campus. Affiliated campuses will have their own GivePulse pages but with programming managed locally. It is an easy to use online tool and the MoveYourWayISU team can answer questions that might come up.
Enroll Your CampusEmpower Your County
Sign up your county to be formally connected as a county partner in the MoveYourWayIA campaign. This form is for county-level leaders (County Health, County Extension or County Coalitions) positioned to guide and support county level programming through GivePulse. Our CCPH team will continue to manage the page until you are ready to take the keys! Make the Move!
Learn about County Level SupportStatewide pledge map
Every pledge is counted in the county where it was made. Find your county, then help it climb.
About the Campaign
MoveYourWayIA is an Iowa campaign based on the national Move Your Way® model. Its message is simple: lots of things count as physical activity, and it all adds up. We want moving more to feel doable, welcoming and fun for every Iowan, at every ability and in every corner of the state.
The plan is built from the ground up. Lasting change happens in counties, in the coalitions, partnerships and local leaders that grow there. Counties choose to join. None are required to, and every county is welcome.
The CCPH group is a community outreach initiative of the ISU Translational Research Network (U-TuRN). The CCPH team oversees the management of the campus GivePulse network at ISU and supports the activities of a linked student organization called the Community Engagement Club. The CCPH team has had long-standing partnerships with local agencies but gradually accepted roles that extend beyond local programming by coordinating partnerships, supporting service learning, facilitating statewide outreach, and helping connect campus priorities with community-based public health work. Informal ‘Academic Health Department’ affiliations were established with some counties but the county-level engagements established here help to formalize these partnerships to ensure mutual benefits to both student leaders and county partners. Undergraduate students contribute to CCPH activities and the MoveYourWayIA initiative in a variety of ways: course-based service learning, independent studies, honors projects, internships and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and Graduate students contribute to project management, community building and program evaluation. The program is student powered and this is key to sustainability.Start where you are
You don't need a gym, special gear or a big block of time. Movement can happen all through the day, and even 5 minutes has real health benefits: a better mood, sharper focus, less stress and better sleep. Keep four Move Your Way messages in mind:
Any activity beats sitting still.
Housework, gardening, walking the dog, taking the stairs.
A few minutes at a time, all through the day.
So it's easier to stick with.
Here is how much activity the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend.
of moderate activity like brisk walking, plus muscle-strengthening on 2 days a week.
of moderate-to-vigorous activity, including activities that build muscles and bones.
plus muscle-strengthening on 2 days, and activities that improve balance.
Your first week
- Pick something you enjoyWalking the dog, dancing in the kitchen, biking to the store. If you like it, you'll keep doing it.
- Start smallEven 5 or 10 minutes at a time counts toward your weekly total. Build up from there.
- Make a planUse the Move Your Way activity planner to map out your week.
- Make it publicMake a pledge so your county shows up on the map, then challenge a friend, coworker or neighbor to do the same.
Resources
Move Your Way activity planner
A free, simple tool from the U.S. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. Choose activities, set a schedule, and track your weekly minutes.
Open the plannerMove Your Way
Tips, videos and fact sheets for adults, parents, kids, older adults and during pregnancy.
Visit Move Your WayJoin Spring into Summer
Build habits for active living through the annual Spring Into Summer initiative. The FREE, 6 week, fully online program is fun and easy to do.
The online program follows the established ‘Walk with Ease’ intervention model but is customized to provide guided support on building healthy habits. Whether you're just starting or looking to stay consistent, this flexible program makes it easy to build or reinforce healthy habits for a more active lifestyle. Participants receive a weekly email with a video lesson and access to an online portal with resources, podcasts and self-monitoring tools.
The attached flyer has all the information you need to sign up. You can scan the QR code or register directly by clicking this link or by going to this website: https://startwalkwithease.org/Welcome/iaworksite.
Be sure to select your county when you register as we want to reach all 99 counties. Programming runs from Jan 1–March 1st. We encourage you to coordinate with family, friends or coworkers to help you start together and to stay motivated!
Open the flyer (PDF)
Level up the movement
Join the movement. Help it grow. Lead it forward. Everyone starts with a pledge, and that's a complete way to take part. When you're ready, you can help others get moving and earn a Champion or Ambassador badge. Students and non-students can earn both.
Mover
“I made my move, shared it, and connected with the movement.”
- Make a pledge: “This week, I will get active by…”
- Share it with at least one person. Private counts.
- Join GivePulse and log your pledge with your county.
Recognition: a welcome from the team. No training, quotas or hours.
Champion
“I help people in my county or campus connect with Move Your Way.”
- Join your county's GivePulse page, or a campus group.
- Invite at least five people to pledge, or have one real conversation with a local organization.
- Log your outreach with a short reflection.
Recognition: verified Champion badge, single teal ring.
Ambassador
“I organize opportunities and help others put active living into action.”
- Hold Champion status and complete a short orientation.
- Plan and run an activity or promotion with at least one other helper or partner.
- Record what happened and what comes next.
Recognition: verified Ambassador badge, double teal and gold ring.
Two tracks, one movement
The badge names where you contributed, not who you are. Earn an Iowa badge for work in a county and an ISU badge for work on campus. If you do separate work in both places, you can earn both.
Iowa track
Help a county grow its movement: invite neighbors, connect local organizations and support county events with AmeriCorps members and local partners.
ISU track
Build an active campus with a residence hall, class, student organization, department or work group. Campus energy feeds the county network.
ISU students: three ways to be a Champion
Reach your home county
Use your own connections to bring friends, family and local groups to your home county's page.
Adopt a county
Get matched with an Iowa county that wants help and support its local partners, wherever you're from.
Build the campus movement
Promote active living with students, faculty and staff through tables, classes and campus groups.
Badge artwork shown is concept design and will be finalized before launch.