Chris Powell's 'Move One Million' program goes global

GILBERT, AZ — Habits that will last a lifetime - that's the goal for fitness expert Chris Powell and his Move One Million program which has more than 100,000 people across the globe tapping into that mind-body connection every single day. Since ABC15 last checked in with Powell in November 2022, his program has exploded in popularity, reaching all corners of the globe!

"Last one!" yells an encouraging Chris Powell, his voice full of enthusiasm. "Flex it out nice and give yourselves a round of applause."

It's barely an hour into the school day, and already, fourth graders at Augusta Ranch Elementary School in Mesa have done more with their bodies and their minds than most of us do in an entire day.

"Feel your beating in your chest, feel it tapping back on your hand. That's your amazing heart."

And it's that amazing heart of his that's motivated Powell, a fitness expert with more than 20 years as a mainstay on TVs across America, to create the Move One Million program during the pandemic.

In less than five minutes a day, he takes users through a series of movements and meditations, all designed to be user-friendly. It gets kids at all levels to harness their own power, showing them that a little movement and mindfulness can create big changes that can last a lifetime.

"When you launched this, did you have any idea that it would grow to what it is today?" ABC15's Nick Ciletti asked Powell.

"Not a clue!" Powell responded. "I had no idea that it would gain so much traction."

And boy did it ever! It's not only used in Arizona and nationwide — Move One Million has now gone global. Powell tells ABC15 the program has kids in 76 different countries building up their sweat equity.

"What is that like for you to really see this program explode over the last year?" Ciletti asked.

"For me, it's so fulfilling - it's so much bigger than me," Powell said. "It's not about me at all - it's about bringing these incredible tools to these kids and giving them something they'll have for the rest of their lives because, through the combination of movement and music, it anchors it in their memories so the moment the music starts playing, these kids know how to move."

Kids just like Shaune Larson, a fourth-grader in Gilbert Public Schools.

"It was really fun," says Shaune. "And it was very exciting!"

Shaune says it was the perfect way to start his day and work out the wiggles before hitting the books!

"Loose and calm," Shaune said of how it makes him feel afterward. He said it also gives him the energy he needs to feel like he can tackle the rest of the day.

And that's exactly what his teacher, Jennifer Brennan, is hoping for. She says, "Anything you can do to make the kids move is awesome."

And it's not just about doing, but also feeling for these kids.

"I really like the part where he talks about breathing and calming yourself and having their heartbeat come down."

"The moment I actually have them start focusing on their breathing, they are silent," Powell explains. "Their hand is over their heart. They're feeling their heart in their body. They're feeling their breath - they're coming to the present, to the here and now. And it's really amazing how open these kids are to accepting and learning about their incredible body and again to have that tool they can always go back to for the rest of their lives."

And the best part of Move One Million is that it's totally free! To check it out for yourself, head to the website.