20 SEPTEMBER 2024 By Mallory Gleich Did you know that 31 percent of adults and 80 percent of adolescents do not meet the recommended levels of physical activity? One Valley nonprofit aims to change those numbers, especially when it comes to students. High schoolers Saniya Dwivedi and Grace Putnam created Health In Movement (HIM), an organization that aims to improve mental and physical health through exercise. “I found that beginning my day with physical activity improved my energy and concentration levels remarkably. This led me to research the effect of exercise,” Saniya said. “We found that exercise has an acute impact on mental and physical health, which inspired us to start Health In Movement to emphasize exercise for overall wellbeing.” The duo utilizes their Instagram to share lifestyle modifications – supported by statistics – that help enhance mental and physical health. Saniya had the initial idea to establish the organization, so she connected with various businesses to develop relationships in the community, while Grace helps with promotions. They started working on the nonprofit this spring after realizing it was an idea they both felt connected to. Grace and Saniya have collaborated with various organizations so far, such as the Foundation for Blind Children. “FBC gave us our first opportunity, and we are so grateful for the experience. We started weekly exercise workshops with students from K-12 where we witnessed their excitement to play with friends and compete in interactive games,” Saniya said. “The experience was both fulfilling and educational.” HIM offers interactive and healthy ways to display the importance of physical activity for the mind and body. Their goal is to help youth develop nontoxic views of exercise and learn various solutions to maintaining their health. “We support the notion that ‘food is medicine’ to call attention to the impact of diet on wellbeing. In addition, we launched an interview series where we speak with high school and collegiate athletes about their experiences and how physical activity helped them excel,” Saniya said. “We aim to educate our peers to use reasonable lifestyle changes.” Saniya and Grace currently operate the nonprofit, but they already have expansion plans in motion with the help of a Global Health Initiative called TwinEpidemic. They’ve also gained the support of Senator Marsh and Representative Schwiebert. In August, the pair met with Senator Marsh to discuss mental health bills that Marsh introduced but were rejected, including resources for student mental health. “We want to clarify Arizona’s lack of mental health resources,” Saniya said. “Through this event, we highlighted these issues and aim to support better mental health services in our community while inspiring positive changes.” In the near future, HIM plans on debuting bring-a-buddy events, like running clubs, to limit social isolation. “As teens, we understand how difficult it can be to maintain a positive mindset about physical and mental health, so we want to be an outlet for youth,” Saniya said. “Although this organization is for all, our main target is students, so working with schools would be a great way to spread information and awareness of how important mental and physical health is.” Soon, Saniya will be traveling to Kenya as Health In Movement’s ambassador to educate youth on the importance of exercise and establish workshops. HIM is also collaborating with HopeKids and its annual Hopewalk event on October 19 at Notre Dame Prep. “We hope students become aware of the importance physical and mental health has toward wellbeing,” Saniya said. “We want to educate them on how mental and physical health are related and connected. HIM can help students implement healthy activities in healthy ways.” healthinmovement.wordpress.com LET’S GET MOVING! Student nonprofit encourages movement to improve mental and physical health Grace Putnam Saniya Dwivedi We aim to educate our peers to use reasonable lifestyle changes.