Happy to be minding his minutes

Linda Larson, wellness education specialist, Community & Preventive Care Services, presents 2014 Minutes in Motion participant George Haug with the $500 grand prize.

When La Crosse resident George Haug heard about Minutes in Motion sponsored by Gundersen Health System on the radio, he decided to give it a try. And he won $500. George claimed his grand prize after completing the 2014 challenge of exercising 30 minutes a day. George's minutes even surpassed the 1,260-minute goal, reaching close to 2,000 minutes by the end. He rode a stationary bike in his basement for about an hour a day to stay active, sometimes watching a video or a show while riding to help enjoy his time.

"It was fun, got me moving and made me feel like I accomplished something," George shares. Having the Minutes in Motion goal created a fun environment and helped put him in the mood to get started exercising. When George got the call announcing he was the grand prize winner, however, he was shocked.

"I couldn't believe it," he shares, laughing. "It was awesome."

After Minutes in Motion, his regular exercise time fell off a little, but he hopes to get back into his routine and keep up the momentum. George is ready for this year's challenge and has already found others who want to join him.

Last year was George's first year participating in Minutes in Motion. He didn't have a computer and was not sure how to log his minutes online, so he called in each week to report his minutes. This year, however, things will be different. George bought a computer with his tax return and grand prize money, so he's all set to log his minutes.