Cedars-Sinai has joined a national fitness challenge, #FitForTheFrontline, to support frontline healthcare workers who continue to save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. The event, taking place now through Sunday, June 14, encourages Americans young and old to move, exercise and get fit to increase awareness and raise funds to support these healthcare heroes.

“Cedars-Sinai’s frontline workers continue to face unprecedented challenges while simultaneously providing exemplary care and hope to patients and their loved ones,” said David Marshall, JD, DNP, RN, senior vice president and chief nursing executive at Cedars-Sinai. “This challenge represents a unique and engaging way to show well-deserved gratitude and appreciation to these heroes.”

To join the challenge, participants can choose to dedicate any fitness activity, such as a walk around the block, cycling for 60 minutes or doing a 30-minute meditation. Participants should then post their healthy activity to social media using #FitForTheFrontline and tagging @CedarsSinai, then challenge friends and family to donate and join the cause.

When donating, participants can select from one of five emergency response funds to support Cedars-Sinai’s immediate response to COVID-19. Funds go to areas of greatest need, employee and caregiver support, nursing support, operational support, and research and epidemiology support. Each emergency response fund can be found here.

Nurses Lidia Toledo, RN, MSN, and Sandra Keane, RN, BSN, are participating in the fitness challenge on behalf of Cedars-Sinai. Toledo selected flow yoga as her exercise, and Keane chose Zumba.

“Zumba is a combination of two of my favorite activities, exercise and dance,” said Keane in a video encouraging participation. “I am committed to doing Zumba three times a week for the duration of the challenge and invite you to join me in supporting our healthcare providers by donating to Cedars-Sinai on behalf of my physical activity.”

Inspired by World War II veteran Captain Tom Moore's pledge to walk 100 laps around his garden before his 100th birthday, #FitForTheFrontline partner medical centers include Mount Sinai Health System, Baylor College of Medicine, BJC HealthCare, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Cleveland Clinic, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Hackensack Meridian Health, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Mayo Clinic, MedStar Health, Michigan Medicine, Montefiore Einstein, New York-Presbyterian, Northwell Health Foundation, Northwestern Medicine, NYU Langone Health, Penn Medicine, RWJBarnabas Health, Temple Health, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, University of Chicago Medicine, UW Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, Weill Cornell Medicine and Yale New Haven Health.

To join the #FitForTheFrontline challenge, visit www.cedars-sinai.org/fit. Follow and tag Cedars-Sinai on social media posts using Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.