The University of the West Indies Mona Campus is excited to announce the launch of MONA MOVES, a new health and wellness initiative aimed at promoting a culture of wellness that includes, but is not limited to, physical activity and healthy living among students, faculty, and staff.
MONA MOVES seeks to create a culture of wellness on campus by providing opportunities for individuals to engage in physical activities that are fun, accessible, and inclusive. The initiative will offer a variety of activities, including fitness classes, recreational sports, and other activities.
As part of The UWI Mona’s continued commitment to the health and wellness of our community, the MONA MOVES Health and Wellness Fair under the theme: Healthy, Well and Wise at 75: Taking it Beyond was hosted following the launch as part of the regional UWI 75th Anniversary Celebrations. The Launch was hosted Thursday, March 16, 2023.
Welcoming the attendees of the launch, Prof Dale Webber, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Principal of The UWI Mona Campus, started by commenting that the World Health Organization (WHO) said that 11 minutes of robust exercise can make a difference in lowering the risk of premature death and certain lifestyle diseases. In that context, Prof Webber, challenged the attendees of the launch to do more walking, that is, “park and walk and…take the stairs rather than the elevator."
The launch of MONA MOVES comes at a time when physical activity has become increasingly important due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Research has shown that physical activity can boost the immune system, reduce stress, and improve mental health, all of which are essential during these challenging times.
Keynote speaker at the launch of MONA MOVES, Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Christopher Tufton, said an initiative such as this is even more necessary now, post-COVID than pre-COVID.
He commented that there are a lot of lessons that can be taken from the COVID experience. He committed, in his capacity as Minister, to ensuring those lessons are put on paper and placed in a space where generations to come can see and inform themselves but also learn.
“What COVID did for us was to tell us as a population, how much our health was compromised and how vulnerable we are as a people. It is a global lesson, but Jamaica has to also learn the lesson so we can pivot and adjust to making ourselves more resilient,” Minister Tufton said.
Minister Tufton revealed that over 3500 persons died from the COVID Pandemic as a matter of record, and one of the observations he made was the extent to which those victims of COVID passed because of complications from the COVID virus. “Many COVID victims died predominantly because they were already sick,” he said. “In other words, their immune systems were already compromised due primarily to lifestyle diseases.”
He further explained that during the discussion about priority groups for vaccines, the Government and health professionals came to the realization that the vast majority of the population had an underlying condition to include: hypertension, diabetes, some sort of cardio vascular related issues and it was as a result of many things, but lifestyle was the dominant feature.
“Post-COVID, means we have to learn those lessons, we have to move towards recalibrating our response as a country and as a people to be stronger and more resilient as a population. As leaders we have to chart the way forward coming on the heels of a pandemic where we promote a culture of wellness as a critical component of lifestyle, living, work play, family, community and it is a radical shift that is required,” Minister Tufton said.
Speaking at the Launch, Dr Mansingh, Dean of the Faculty of Sport, presented on the importance of movement to quality of life. Stating that “Just as in athletes, you can improve performance through exercise, likewise in non-athletes, you can improve functional performance through exercise as well. Non-communicable diseases, Dr Mansingh said, account for about 60 per cent of all deaths and is the greatest of morbidity and mortality in developing countries. “Twice as many death as HIV, malaria, TB and infectious diseases combined. Or to put it another way, physical inactivity is the fourth largest risk factor of death,” he said
Dr. Mansingh believes the MONA MOVES initiative is very important, stating among other things, that “Regular exercise increases life expectancy by preventing or controlling hypertension, diabetes, stroke, many types of cancers, arthritis; it reduces the risk of falls or fractures, but it also reduces things like depression and anxiety. Exercise not only affects your physical wellbeing, but it has a major effect on your mental wellbeing and actually improves brain function with aging. There is also the feel good factor which improves your mood and self-esteem. Exercise alone can improve the quality and duration of sleep and regular exercise reduces morality by 36 percent. It’s not just about losing weight it’s about improving the quality of life,” he told Launch attendees.
The initiative will be led by a team of experienced health and fitness professionals who will provide guidance and support to participants. MONA MOVES will also offer educational resources, such as nutrition advice and fitness tips, to help individuals maintain a healthy lifestyle.
MONA MOVES is open to all students, faculty, and staff at The University of the West Indies Mona Campus, and participants can register for activities with the Faculty of Sport to include swimming, a variety of sporting activities, runs and walks.