To address these challenges, I created a wellness initiative named GatorFitness: https://gatorfitness.org/. This student-led program leverages gamification, positive reinforcement, and social support to promote regular physical activity among first-year medical students. The idea was simple: make fitness fun, engaging, and rewarding.
GatorFitness utilizes our medical school’s curriculum, where each student is placed into a small learning group paired with a faculty member. We use these collaborative learning groups as teams, with students working together to earn points based on how much time they dedicate to physical activities. These points contribute to students’ progress within a tiered bracket, encouraging friendly competition and teamwork. To support progress through tiers and keep the momentum going, we designed special T-shirts and created ways of promoting positive stories from participants — via our website, Instagram, and on TVs around the medical school. We even recruited an IT team to help us develop a website that allows students to see their fitness data in real-time.
GatorFitness, which launched this year for incoming first-year medical students, has received overwhelmingly positive feedback. One participant shared, 'GatorFitness has inspired me to prioritize my physical health while managing stress. It has also helped me connect with fellow classmates, providing support as I learn to balance fitness with the demands of medical school.'
While I founded GatorFitness, the initiative’s ongoing success is a testament to the support from our administration and the dedication of the student officers involved. Our motto, “Wellness Through Fitness,” reflects our belief in the proven benefits of physical activity on mental health. The GatorFitness team and I have worked hard to secure funding and create opportunities for medical students to incorporate physical activity into their routines as they persevere through one of the most challenging academic phases of their lives.
One key insight I’ve gained over my fitness journey is that fitness looks different for everyone. Whether it's walking, running, yoga, CrossFit, pickleball, or weightlifting, one message I pass on to others is that as long as it's something you enjoy and keeps you moving, it's worth doing. Fitness is not always easy — particularly during medical school. Many students, even those with a sports or physical fitness background, struggle to maintain a consistent workout routine amid academic pressures.
Although I’ve managed to keep up with my workout routine during medical school, I understand the challenges of staying active with limited time. Despite being a lifelong multi-sport athlete, I experienced periods where maintaining physical activity seemed near impossible. The year after I graduated high school, I was working 60-80 hours a week, and the unexpected passing of a beloved mentor derailed my routine. During this time, I completely stopped working out, and my mental health took the biggest hit. It was support and encouragement from friends that helped me regain my footing. I’ll never forget the lows I experienced, and I’m reminded of how vital the gym and its community were for my mental well-being and sense of normalcy.
Today, people see me as someone who has been consistently fit throughout medical school, but I owe much of that to the support I received early in my fitness journey. Social support is so crucial, especially when starting out on your fitness journey. With this understanding, GatorFitness was designed to incentivize students to engage in regular physical activity by harnessing the power of community. Medical school is hard enough, and trying to stay fit alone can be overwhelming. By integrating fitness into the collaborative learning groups that are already part of our curriculum, we’ve turned fitness into a shared experience that’s both fun and rewarding.
Ryan Skelly is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Florida. He is passionate about sharing the positive benefits of physical activity in staving off burnout and increasing mental well-being.