A free eight-week, team-based health program to increase physical activity and improve eating habits launches May 2. Called FitEx, registration is open now through May 1.

“With the COVID-19 pandemic still affecting all of our lives, FitEx is a great program to help connect us virtually to our family, friends, co-workers and teammates through healthy competition,” said Denise Smith, University of Wyoming Extension educator.

To register, visit fitex1.cs.vt.edu/#/register <http://fitex1.cs.vt.edu/#/register>  and select your county. Participants can create a team of five (friends, family or co-workers) and select a team caption and name. Smith said she can be contacted if someone would like to compete but can’t find enough members for a team of five.

Participants set goals for how many miles a team will finish in eight weeks. A FitEx mile is equal to 1 mile walking or running or any 15-minute bout of moderate physical activity such as an aerobics class. Teams will also set goals for how many cups of fruits and vegetables they will eat during the eight weeks.

Sign in to FitEx at www.fit-ex.org <http://www.fit-ex.org>  starting May 2 to log the number of miles and cups of fruits and vegetables eaten every day or once a week. Teams can view the FitEx tracking charts to see the progress toward their goals and comparisons to other teams across Wyoming.

“The team environment and the online tracking helps participants achieve their goals throughout the eight-week competition,” said Smith.

Facebook posts, newsletters, feedback, competition for motivation and prizes for the winning team are part of the program, commented Smith.

Please speak with a healthcare provider if you have questions about safe and appropriate activities for you and/or your team members. Contact the research team at program@fit-ex.org to discuss any needs for yourself or a team member. Contact Smith at desmith@uwyo.edu if you have any questions.