With funding from the National Collegiate Athletic Association, they designed four, 90-minute, weekly sessions that introduce participants to lifelong exercise options, as well as smart food choices. The program, which includes facilitator and participant workbooks and a website with instructional videos, helps student-athletes create a positive post-competition identity and set realistic goals for designing and managing their new lifestyle.
Reifsteck tested “Moving On!” with Division I and III student-athletes. Participants reported improved knowledge about physical activity and nutrition, and feeling better prepared for a healthy transition out of college.
In October, Reifsteck received the Association for Applied Sport Psychology’s Distinguished Applied Contribution Award for her work. Other schools are now adapting “Moving On!” for their student-athletes.
Currently, Reifsteck is continuing this line of research by following a cohort of college athletes through their final competition season, and then post-season until graduation. Students will wear accelerometers, report on their nutrition and physical activity, complete fitness testing, and have their blood drawn periodically.
The goal, she says, is to assess early changes in fitness and cardiometabolic disease risk as participants move on from university athletics, and to continue to develop evidence-based strategies that motivate this group to stay healthy.
“Obviously, their lifestyle will shift,” she says. “We want to help them learn how to keep moving, stay active, and eat healthfully without the constant supervision and structure of college athletics.”
It’s a forward-thinking approach. “Here at UNCG, we say we’re developing champions in life. To do this, we must care about what happens to student-athletes after they graduate. We need to provide resources and services that promote their long-term health and well-being.”
