Student Pitches Online Workout Program in ‘The New Normal’ Challenge.
Thanks to restricted daily routines and increased time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, Master of Public Health student Mansi Thakrar says her exercise regimen has fizzled steadily over the past six months—but she knows she’s not alone.
So when she heard about The New Normal Challenge—an opportunity last summer for Boston University students to develop innovative ideas that would have a positive impact on the BU community in the fall—an idea quickly came to mind. Mansi developed an initiative called “Work and Earn,” which will offer live, online workout sessions for groups of students, with fitness gear giveaways to one participant per class.
For her idea, Mansi was named one of 11 finalists in the competition, and she presented her initiative during a virtual Finalists Showcase on Wednesday, September 23.
Organized by BU Student Government, UMOJA, the Dean of Students Office, and Innovate@BU, The New Normal Challenge encouraged students to “embrace their entrepreneurial mindset” and develop equitable interventions, events, or traditions that would help ease students’ transition to campus this fall, virtually or in-person, under the university-wide hybrid teaching model, Learn from Anywhere.
More than 40 participants across several BU schools attended online workshops with the organizers over the summer to develop and receive feedback on their ideas. Eleven finalists in the Student Impact Track were selected in mid-August and they each received a $500 seed grant from the university to jump-start their idea.
“As a public health professional, I understand that mental stability and confidence is very closely associated with fitness,” says Mansi, who is studying epidemiology and biostatistics at SPH with plans to attend dental school. “A fit body leads to a composed mind and better mental soundness.”
An international student from India who began the MPH program in spring 2020, Mansi says she used to work out regularly at home, but she didn’t pack any fitness equipment when she moved to Boston.
“Other students may not have this equipment either, and the giveaways at the beginning of each session will include yoga mats, jump ropes, and stretching bands, so they will feel like they’re at the gym without having to go to one,” she says.
She emphasizes that her goal is not to encourage students to fret about their weight, but to offer ongoing opportunities for students to reap the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of exercise and socialization while remaining safe and social distancing in their dorm room or home.
“For me, working out alone is not motivating at all,” she says. “When you have company to work out with, that’s a social commitment that will motivate you to push yourself to maintain those commitments and a healthy workout schedule. I hope that students are able to make new friends, and workout buddies.”
Mansi says she is in the process of finalizing the exercise class schedule, which will be available soon through this Calendy link, or by scanning the QR code (left).