Global spotlight on employee health and fitness
May is Global Employee Health and Fitness month and brings attention to the problems caused by inactivity and poor lifestyle choices. This international initiative encourages employers and employees to promote regular activity and improve healthy lifestyles.
Your participation and commitment to your walking program does just that. It inspires others, whether you work in an office, a manufacturing plant or at home. Use this time to recommit to a stronger and healthier you.
At work, plan special events that celebrate healthy living. You will be creating a positive and supportive environment that will benefit everyone.
- Schedule a morning employee group walk
- Organize an internal walking challenge within your main company challenge
- Host a healthy pot luck lunch
- Challenge one another not use the elevator for a day
- Create a brag wall in the workplace, where people can post their successes and congratulate others on their healthy lifestyle choices. Messages like “Joe did his first 10,000 step day” or “I ate 5 servings for fruits and veggies today!”
Tell us about your events, post pictures of your brag wall and other activities here or on our Facebook page.
Walking buddies motivate (video)
Here is a video that talks about how a walking partner can motivate and help keep you walking every day. If you are a member of Walkingspree, you can take advantage of the Walkingspree “buddy system” to help keep you and your friends motivated. Members can invite buddies for support or friendly competition – even send buddy gifts to inspire or challenge.
Go for your personal best this Wednesday – National Start! Walking Day
The American Heart Association’s annual National Start! Walking Day – Wednesday, April 4– is about fighting heart disease and stroke by becoming more active.
Did you know that one hour of vigorous exercise increases your life expectancy by two hours?
Did you know that physical inactivity doubles the risk of heart disease?
Now challenge yourself this week and go for your personal best. If you haven’t been hitting your step goal, resolve to do it every day this week.
If you are meeting your step goals, crank it up by 20 percent. If your goal is 6,000 steps, go for 7,000 this week. Your heart will love you for it.
During the week create more walking opportunities at work:
- Make one of your meetings a walking meeting.
- Encourage non walkers to tag along.
- Get people to share their favorite 10 minute, 20 minute and 30 minute routes around the workplace.
- Track the steps up a set of stairs or hallway and put up a sign “50 steps for this staircase or hallway”.
- Take the long way to the restroom, water cooler or coffee machine.
- Put up “Walk instead of Ride” signs beside the elevator doors to encourage using the stairs.
Revitalize your walking goals this Spring
Revitalize your walking goals this Spring
Spring is the perfect time to renew your step goals and reenergize your walking routine.
Review your goals. Polish up what’s working and sweep out what’s not.
Boost your step goal. If you’re hovering around 6,000 steps a day, try pushing it 20 percent, to 7,000 steps.
Restate your goals. Recommit to yourself. Recommit to your walking buddy. Sharing your goals with your buddy may just be the motivation you need. And your buddy would probably appreciate some support, too.
Enjoy the outdoors. Appreciate the fresh air, the birds singing, and greeting the many other walkers you’ll come across. Take different routes and explore new areas in your neighborhood. Walk to work and head outside at lunch time with a co-worker for a walk.
Check your dashboard. It’s an excellent visual reminder. Do it daily and remember to upload your pedometer at least weekly.
How to Invite a Walkingspree Buddy
1. Login to your Account
2. Click on “Buddies” under the green menu
3. Select the tab “Manage Buddies”
4. Select the “Choose Buddies” button. This will allow you to search for a buddy by screen name and send them a buddy invite.
Everyone by default has a virtual walking buddy that automatically walks 7,000 steps/day: “Your Virtual Resolution”. Use them as your pace buddy to try and increase your steps.
Walk for a healthier heart
Sometimes thought of as a “man’s disease”, women account for nearly 50 percent of all heart disease deaths. Each year, more women die from heart disease than all forms of cancer combined. And a greater percentage of women die within one year of a heart attack than men.
Fortunately, reducing your risk factors – not smoking, nutrition, diabetes, cholesterol, high blood pressure, inactivity, excessive weight, and stress – will go a long way in reducing your risk of heart disease.
Studies show that walking briskly will reduce coronary heart disease risk in women by 30 to 40 percent. Even those who walk at a slower pace have a 32 percent lower risk of heart disease compared with those who don’t walk at all.
By walking 30 minutes every day you can strengthen your heart and reduce your risk of heart disease. By walking every day you will:
- Improve your circulation
- Lower your blood pressure
- Lower your cholesterol
- Reduce stress
- Help you reach and maintain a healthy weight
Here is a success story we’d like to share from Velda:
Since I began the Walkingspree program I have lost inches around my waist, lowered my blood pressure which in turn lowered my chances of heart disease which has affected my family. So I am grateful for the motivation that the Walkingspree program has provided me with to make me a healthier Me!
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