Leadership
Limited Awareness, Accessibility, and Engagement in Physical Activity at USC
Across my key insights, a consistent theme emerged: people are more likely to adopt and sustain physical activity when it is accessible within their environment, understood in terms of its benefits, and experienced as meaningful and engaging. Through my within-the-classroom (WTC) and beyond-the-classroom (BTC) experiences, I identified a gap between understanding the benefits of physical activity and actually engaging in it consistently among college students.
In my WTC coursework, including HPEB 511 and PSYC 465, I learned that physical activity plays a critical role in improving both physiological and cognitive health. Research, including studies using UK Biobank data, demonstrates that consistent physical activity is associated with improved cardiovascular function, better metabolic health, and enhanced cognitive outcomes such as memory and reduced risk of cognitive decline. At the same time, global and national data highlight that physical inactivity remains a major public health concern. The World Health Organization identifies physical inactivity as a leading risk factor for global mortality, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasizes its importance for both brain and physical health (World Health Organization, 2020; CDC, 2022).
Through my BTC experiences, particularly in the ECHO Lab and Cocky’s Bollywood Crew, I learned why this gap exists. In the ECHO Lab, I observed how environmental factors such as walkability, safety, and accessibility influenced participation in walking interventions. In Bollywood Crew, I saw how breaking down movements, repeating routines, and creating a welcoming environment made physical activity more engaging and sustainable. These experiences directly informed my key insights: environment shapes behavior, understanding reinforces motivation, and engagement drives long-term participation.
At USC, there are numerous existing resources, including Group X classes, intramural sports, sport clubs, PEDU courses, and programs through the Center for Health and Well-Being. However, from multiple perspectives, these resources are often underutilized because they are not centralized, can feel intimidating, and are not fully integrated into students’ daily routines. The specific issue I aim to address is the lack of consistent engagement in physical activity among USC students due to barriers in awareness, accessibility, and meaningful participation, despite the availability of resources.
Proposed Plan:
Gamecocks in Motion
To address this issue, I propose implementing a campus-wide initiative called Gamecocks in Motion, which focuses on improving awareness, accessibility, and sustained engagement in physical activity by leveraging existing USC resources. This initiative applies my key insights by redesigning the environment to increase accessibility (Key Insight 1), reinforcing the importance of physical activity for brain and body health (Key Insight 2), and creating engaging, meaningful experiences that encourage long-term participation (Key Insight 3).
Evaluation PLan
Connection to Future Goals
As a pre-med student, this leadership plan reflects how I will apply my WTC and BTC learning in healthcare. Through my key insights, I learned that improving health requires more than providing information, it requires designing environments and systems that support behavior change. In the future, I will apply this approach by helping patients build sustainable habits that fit their daily routines, environment, and cultural context. I aim to work collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams to develop preventative care strategies that focus on long-term health rather than short-term treatment. This experience has strengthened my commitment to improving diversity and accessibility in healthcare by recognizing that different populations require different approaches. Ultimately, I hope to become a physician who not only treats illness, but actively creates environments, systems, and experiences that empower individuals to take control of their health and build sustainable, meaningful habits that improve both their physical and cognitive well-being.