Move Together for Health is a free community exercise program hosted at the Sorenson Unity Center. The program is a partnership between the Wellness Bus, the Osher Center for Integrative Health, and the University of Utah’s Department of Health & Kinesiology.
The program serves as a resource for individuals identified by the Wellness Bus as not meeting physical activity recommendations. The Wellness Bus provides preventive screenings and health coaching to approximately 1,500 community members in the Salt Lake Valley. Early screenings found that more than 70% of visitors were not meeting recommended physical activity levels.
Kinesiology students participate in the program as part of their capstone experience, leading cohorts to apply classroom learning in a community setting. This allows students to experience the real-world effects of exercise programming on people's lives. During a recruitment period, 131 Wellness Bus visitors were identified as not meeting physical activity guidelines. Of those, 34 were referred to Move Together for Health, with 23 enrolling through the Wellness Bus pathway.
The classes are designed for various ages, fitness levels, and physical abilities, utilizing modifications such as resistance bands and chairs. Data indicates that participants increased their physical activity by approximately 95 minutes per week, with the program maintaining more than 90% implementation fidelity across sessions. In total, 26 participants attended at least one session, and about 46% attended six or more sessions.
Beyond physical activity, the program fosters peer interaction and camaraderie among participants. Student instructors aim for participants to feel a sense of accomplishment and improvement throughout the semester.
