For the last 10 years, Miami University President Gregory Crawford and University Ambassador Dr. Renate Crawford have greatly emphasized the importance of health and wellness.

One of the Crawfords’ most engaging platforms has been the popular M.O.V.E. Bootcamp series, a community workout activity that focuses on both physical and mental health. Held several times throughout the year, often in the Lewis Place backyard, the Saturday morning M.O.V.E. Bootcamps have flourished and grown over the past decade as the Crawfords strive to make a lasting impact through exercise and camaraderie.

The latest bootcamp is 10 a.m. Oct. 17 at Lewis Place, part of the Family Weekend activities on Miami’s Oxford campus. The bootcamps are free and open to everyone – students, faculty, staff, and community members – with this one expected to provide a family atmosphere.

“We love to see the energy and enthusiasm each bootcamp brings,” President Crawford said. “Family Weekend is an especially enjoyable time as we get to interact with students and their families. It’s truly a joy to see them share in this uniquely Miami experience.”

Along with the bootcamps, the Crawfords have organized several other health and wellness activities, including runs, hikes, spin-in movies, and yoga sessions.

Seeing the growth of the bootcamps has been gratifying. For fall semester 2025, an estimated 500 participants registered for the August outing.

“We are very passionate about health and wellness, and it has such a positive impact on our students,” Renate Crawford said. “It is also a way for us to connect and build relationships. We often see several returning faces. It is extremely heartening that they have embraced the bootcamps and want to be a part of a healthy and vibrant community.”

While the bootcamps are most commonly held in the Lewis Place backyard, the Crawfords have taken the show on the road, with stops at the Rec Center and Dauch Indoor Sports Center.

They’ve also hosted bootcamps at The Knolls of Oxford retirement community.

“It is always great to help deepen that already strong relationship between The Knolls and Miami University,” Renate Crawford said. “We love collaborating with The Knolls, and the bootcamps are one way to celebrate that wonderful partnership.”

This is the third bootcamp for the 2026-2027 fall semester, which provides students with not only a valuable workout but a way to also stay active and meet people.

President Crawford has stressed the positive link between exercise and studying. “The bootcamps are another avenue to remind students of the importance of health and wellness,” he said. “We urge them to keep focusing on exercise, to eat right, and to sleep well. Those are crucial components to student success.”