Debbie Skinner
Staff Writer
At the start of each year, it is a popular trend to reflect upon new year’s resolutions to improve oneself in many different parts of life; this year, a software tool known as Forward Momentum is offering a free trial period for students and employees of Parkland College to join an initiative in an effort to improve quality of life through a variety of projects.
The initial idea for Forward Momentum began over five years ago by Dan Forward. Daniel Carver, the Chief Operating Officer of Forward Momentum gave praise to Forward’s initiative.
“[He] has worked hard to develop ideas and come up with the best strategy to battle the rising trends of unhealthy habits and health-related diseases,” Carver said.
The current Forward Momentum software tool was developed in Sept. 2014 and since then the tool has been used “to help thousands of individuals take more interactive and fun approach to wellness,” Carver said.
This tool has no limits in regards to possibilities of what it can offer when striving to achieve goals. It can be customized, is completely web based, and provides users who wish to participate in an effort to improve quality of life a chance to sign up for programs, activities, challenges, and events.
The Forward Momentum tool uses a software system known as 2act to track participant data. The data is sent back to administrators who examine how effective the programs may be. Carver said Forward Momentum is constantly growing, now being present in every state in the contiguous United States.
Sara Estock, the wellness coordinator at Parkland College, directed interested parties to visit the website parkland.2act.co to access the Forward Momentum program, where students will need to use their Parkland College email address to register. The software is currently under a free usage period for Parkland students.
“[There is a] free trial period that goes from now through April 1,” Estock said. “This is a customizable program, which means the challenges included will change and morph into what the population at Parkland is interested in at the time. It is a lot of fun and you can see rankings in ‘real time’ as people complete activities and log their information.”
Examples of activities that students can sign up for include the Go Ahead and Get Well Program, along with 31 Days and 31 Miles which encourage students to engage in form of physical activity to propel forward and get active.
“The Forward Momentum movement is a strong push towards a healthier lifestyle,” Carver said. “We aim to help individuals improve the quality of their lives through participation in all types of wellness-centered activities and programs.
This is the first semester that the Forward Momentum initiative has been available at Parkland College, and Carver said that he and the rest of the staff of Forward Momentum is happy to help provide wellness tools to students and encourages them to join and participate.
Carver recommends students make a point of becoming active or increasing activity level amidst the busy schedule of a new semester.
“Make it a priority,” he said. “Health is a vital part of everyone’s life. Science has proven that the more you make your own wellness a priority, the healthier, happier, and more successful you will become.”
Carver said students should speak with Estock to best learn about the program. Sara Estock may be contacted at 217-373-3879 or at sestock@parkland.edu. For further information on the Forward Momentum software, visit the website fwdmo.co or send an email to info@fwdmo.co.
