Start Moving
Including more movement in your day—whether that's climbing, running, stretching, swimming or walking—will contribute to a healthier mind, body, and soul.
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Get Started | Sustainable Activities | Opportunities On & Around Campus
#McGillMoves brings together a diverse range of student-focused events, initiatives and activities, so you can explore moving in ways that are accessible for you. While the amount, intensity and frequency of physical activity is unique to each person, #McGillMoves invites you to find ways to move that feel comfortable, empowering and motivating to you.
Here's some ideas to get you started!
- Check out our #McGillMoves events calendar
- Get involved in sustainable activities
- Get involved in activities on and around campus
Sustainable Activities
Active transit
Active transit, such as walking and biking, is the most sustainable way to travel from an environmental, social, and economic perspective. It avoids greenhouse gas emissions, which contribute to climate change, air pollution, and noise pollution. It can also be an affordable, accessible, and healthy choice.
Full-time McGill students are eligible for a discounted annual BIXI membership, while students on the Macdonald Campus can rent bikes for free from April to October. Check out the McGill University Sustainable Travel Guide for other tips and resources.
Gardening
Urban agriculture and green spaces are important parts of the sustainability landscape at McGill. Gardening, whether on campus or at home, is a great way to contribute to urban biodiversity, build your understanding of local food systems, and foster mental and physical well-being by spending intentional time outside. Learn more about urban agriculture at McGill, tips to start your own garden, and more in the McGill Guide to Urban Agriculture and by following the Office of Sustainability on Instagram.
Opportunities on Campus and Around Campus
Campus Crops
Campus Crops is a collective that works on urban agriculture initiatives to grow food on campus, behind the Bieler School of Environment Building. They provide students and community members with space and opportunities to learn while promoting discussion around issues of food politics and food security.
- campuscrops [at] gmail.com (Email Campus Crops)
- Campus Crops on Facebook
The Flat
The Flat is a collective that works to encourage cycling through the sharing of knowledge and tools. All persons and bikes welcome - no experience necessary! The Flat seeks to make bicycling more accessible, provide a welcoming environment, minimize our environmental impact, and promote a sense of community.
- theflat.bikecollective [at] gmail.com (Email The Flat)
- The Flat on Facebook
- The Flat on Instagram
Mac Campus Bike Club
The Mac Campus Bike Club offers bike repair services and lessons and a bike recycling program to the Mac Campus community. Students can borrow a bike during their time on campus.
Spin Bike Gardens
The McGill Spin Bike Gardens aim to provide enjoyable mental and physical health breaks for students, staff and faculty. The gardens consist of quiet, magnetic-resistance spin bikes surrounded by plants and meditative art. You'll find them in areas where students and staff are busy at work, so that doing a quick cardio activity is easily attainable.
Where to find Spin Bike Gardens
- Brown Building, 4th floor, east wing
- Trottier Building, 5th floor
Redpath Walking Tours
Take yourself on a sustainability-themed, self-guided walking tour around the downtown campus with the Redpath Museum. Follow the Redpath Museum on Facebook to join upcoming in-person tours. Tours include:
- Songs and Secret Science Spots
- Foraging plants for food and medicine at McGill
- Guided walk on Mont Royal
- Darwin, the Redpath Museum and climate change
Gault Nature Reserve & Morgan Arboretum
Get out of the city and explore southern Quebec’s local ecosystems at McGill’s Gault Nature Reserve. The protected forest is located 40 km from Montreal in Mont-Saint-Hilaire. It boasts 25 km of trail network within 1,000 hectares of natural environment.
Rather stay on the island of Montreal? Head over to McGill University's Macdonald Campus and check out the Morgan Arboretum; a 245-hectare forest reserve, situated in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue. Access trails year-round for walking, skiing, snowshoeing, and exploring! Students pay $5.50 for a day pass or $46 for an annual membership.