Thanks for Participating in NOVA Walk Week. Let’s Keep the Momentum Going!

April 19, 2024 / Get Well

Whether you were able to participate in the scheduled walks or you ventured out on your own, we want to congratulate you and encourage you to keep the momentum going. We also want to hear from you! We’re already preparing for Fall 2024 NOVA Walk Week, so please help us make it the best yet by providing feedback on what went well and what might need tweaking. While you’re at it, check out the Walk Week pictures, articles, and Walker Wisdom messages on our Padlet. 

With NOVA’s Spring 2024 Gratitude and Appreciation Week (April 22–26) right around the corner, we had to stop and say thank you to everyone who made this spring’s NOVA Walk Week a resounding success. We ran into some challenges with the weather, but we didn’t let a little rain stop the show. College Recreation and Intramurals, the Daily Flyer team, CommonHealth wellness liaisons, campus wellness committees, Push Pals and other planning partners worked in tandem to spotlight the benefits of walking. We are proud to share that we had almost 300 registrants (including faculty, staff, students and alumni/friends), 11 published walks, and an impressive number of impromptu walks on our beautiful campuses/locations and throughout the community. Many participants discovered new trails on their respective campuses, and colleagues enjoyed jamming out to our curated Spotify playlist.

Much appreciation to everyone who assisted with planning and coordinating walks. Applause to those campus heroes in security and facilities who work tirelessly to create safe spaces for the NOVA community. Cheers to our leaders — President Kress, associate vice presidents, provosts, deans, team leads from across the College — who led and joined walks and encouraged their teams and colleagues to participate. To those who participated in group walks or walked on their own, way to go!

Keep It Up and Be Fly
Here are a few suggestions to help you maintain that Walk Week spirit:

  • Fitness challenges and virtual wellness classes. NOVA’s Recreation and Intramurals (NOVA Rec) can always be counted on for fresh, new offerings:
    • Check out the Be FLY (FIT, LEAN[ER] YOU)! challenges for a series of monthly movement challenges. April’s fitness challenge is 30 minutes of physical activity daily.  
    • All members of the NOVA community are invited to join the following Zoom sessions. Please register in advance and share the links.
    • Outdoor adventure for employees. Join Woodbridge English Professor Indigo Eriksen for a backpacking trip. This experience is for NOVA employees interested in learning to backpack or co-leading one of our student trips. If you would like to learn more, please email Indigo at IEriksen@nvcc.edu.
    • Meditation. The Annandale Center for Contemplative Practice hosts a weekly mindfulness meditation group in person on the Annandale Campus (CM-332) and co-streamed on Zoom. Meetings, held every Tuesday from 12:45 p.m. until 1:30 p.m., are open to all members of the NOVA community.
  • Check OEWW’s curated list of physical wellness opportunities.
  • Environment, physical and social wellness on the Manassas Campus. During Earth Month, Math Club & VDOT Adopt-a-Highway faculty, staff and student volunteers plan to clean up a half-mile stretch of Featherbed Lane, located along the Manassas Battlefield Parkway. For more information, contact Rizza Hansen (RHansen@nvcc.edu) or Matthew Westerhoff (MWesterhoff@nvcc.edu).
  • Thinking of starting an on-campus walking group? Curious about virtual walking groups? Want to know where to walk or how take that next step?
    • Here’s a link to maps of select trails on our beautiful campuses.
    • Reach out to your campus’s Walk Week point of contact, campus wellness committee members, the campus CommonHealth Liaison or your respective fitness facility professionals.
  • Walk or hike the DMV.
  • Moving outdoors is for everyone.
    • Boardwalk Hikes in Northern Virginia — Explore seven beautiful boardwalk hikes in Northern Virginia on trails close to nature and in unique wetland habitats near Washington, DC. All of these boardwalk trails are level and easy, and many are stroller and wheelchair accessible.

Need Additional Help to Stay Motivated?
Glad you asked! The next time you need a boost to keep going, check out these resources:

“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.” — James Clear, Atomic Habits

Compilation of photos from NOVA community members who participated in Spring 2024 NOVA Walk Week. The photos appear as a collage on a corkboard labeled "NOVA Walk Week Spring 2024."

Submitted by:
Dahlia Henry-Tett, Chief Wellness Officer (CWO), employeewellbeing@nvcc.edu