Men on the Move:
A Pilot Program to Increase Physical Activity
among Urban, African American Men 

Principal Investigator: Derek Griffith, PhD
Co-Investigators: Mark Harris, Craig Kotajarvi

Physical Activity Network Steering Committee:
Mark Harris — personal trainer, MAH Fitness, Inc. (mahfitness@yahoo.com)
Gyhandi Hill — personal trainer and Community Outreach Coordinator of Men 4 Health
Demond Johnson — personal trainer, One on One Athletic Club
Craig Kotajarvi — ASCM Certified Health Fitness Specialist, MHealthy
Greg Lambert — tennis coach, The Professional Educators Group, Inc.
Pete Thomas — weight loss coach, WinningMan.com LLC, winner of TV show, The Biggest Loser
Brian Young — personal trainer and owner, B Young B Fit
Wasentha Young — Tai Chi Master, Peaceful Dragon School

Contact Information: Aisha Langford/Catricia Thomas
Project Dates: 11/2009 - 6/2011
Funding: Cancer Research Fund of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC-CRF)

Description:
Men on the Move is a behavioral intervention to increase physical activity among African American men 35 years old and older by determine if increasing access to age-appropriate, male-focused physical activity and social support and modeling from other men in their age-group will increase intrinsic motivation to engage in physical activity and rates of physical activity.

Men on the Move is a partnership of the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health and Comprehensive Cancer Center Community Outreach Program and the Physical Activity Network, a group of personal trainers in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti, Michigan, area interested in improving physical activity among African American men.

Men on the Move is a pilot project that will be used to inform the Men 4 Health project’s development of a behavioral intervention to improve African American men's eating and physical activity in Detroit, Flint and Ypsilanti, Michigan.

The specific aims of the Men on the Move research are:
(1) Examine how increasing access to gender and age-appropriate opportunities to learn about and engage in physical activity affects urban African American men’s rates and intensity of physical activity in Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti, Michigan.
(2) Identify correlates and predictors of African American men's participation in recommended levels of physical activity, with a focus on social support, intrinsic motivation, and prioritization of physical activity.