The AAS Foundation’s fourth annual “Get Off Your AAS” Fitness & Wellness Challenge is just around the corner! This year, the challenge is expanding beyond physical fitness to include wellness, emphasizing mindful activities and social connection. This will be a four-day fitness campaign that will be held from January 12-16, 2024, to help support various AAS Foundation initiatives. Winners will be announced at the 19th Annual Academic Surgical Congress in Washington DC, from February 6-8, 2024, and winning individuals and teams will receive personalized “Get Off Your AAS” gear!
How can I register?
Registration is open until January 6, 2024, and it’s easy to get involved. Whether you’re an AAS member, non-member, medical student, family member, or friend – everyone is welcome to join the challenge with a minimum donation to the foundation. You can register individually or as a team of 5 Individuals and teams will be grouped with additional participants to form larger teams encompassing multiple institutions. Each participant will receive an email before the competition begins with their teammates’ names and email addresses, as well as a link to an online form for logging their daily activities.
For more information or to register: https://www.aasfoundation.org/2024-get-off-your-aas-fitness-challenge/
How can I earn points throughout the challenge?
You can earn points by logging your workouts and wellness activities. For workouts, you will be able to log your running, hiking, walking, swimming, and cycling in miles, and rowing in kilometers to earn points. Points will be allocated based on the distance covered in each activity, encouraging a more active lifestyle. Logging in various wellness activities will also earn you points. For the purposes of this challenge, you can earn points for staying hydrated (number of 16oz bottles of water consumed), fostering social connections (number of phone calls, coffee breaks, or meals shared with friends and family), and practicing mindfulness (minutes spent meditating, doing yoga, deep breathing, reading, journaling, or whatever hobby brings you joy).
Why should I participate?
Participating in the “Get Off Your AAS” Fitness & Wellness Challenge is both a commitment to your physical health and a holistic approach to your well-being. This challenge is designed to enhance your endurance and foster a healthier work-life balance. You will have the chance to network with surgeons from other institutions by competing together on a team. Participation will give you an opportunity to recharge after the holidays and set the tone for a healthy and active year, while also contributing to the AAS Foundation’s mission of supporting emerging surgical researchers.
What does the AAS Foundation do?
Since 2009, the AAS Foundation has been instrumental in supporting the next generation of surgical researchers. With over $1,000,000 distributed in research awards and grants, the AAS Foundation focuses on championing surgeons at the early stages of their careers. The foundation plays a pivotal role in providing opportunities and encouragement through awards and fellowships, nurturing scientific inquiry, and advancements in surgical care.
How can I support this initiative?
- Register as an individual or team to participate,
- Sponsor an individual or team to participate,
- Donate to the AAS Foundation throughout the competition through your activity log, and
- Purchase “Get Off Your AAS” products at: https://aas-foundation.myspreadshop.com, with a portion of the sale proceeds going to the AAS Foundation.
Join us in this meaningful challenge and help advance surgical care through the support of academic research!
Olivia Monton