“Step It Out At Work” Challenge Walking …. for fun & for all!

Brief Overview Background Concept Aim of the challenge Details of the challenge Implementing the challenge Challenge card contents Concluding the challenge Evaluating the challenge Results Future Recommendations

Background Lifestyle Challenge Staff eager to have some form of physical activity challenge again. Health Promotion Committee focused on walking. Walking - main activity undertaken in the Lifestyle Challenge by staff.

Workplace - important setting to promote physical activity. The Walkways to Health (Bealach na Beatha) programme embraces the concept of workplace health promotion which looks at creating a supportive environment for employees to engage in healthy activity. As the workplace is an important setting to promote physical activity amongst staff; incorporated into this challenge was the task of achieving physical activity while at work through the Walkways to Health initiative. Rationale

Walkways to Health initiative was developed by the Health Promotion Department (HPD), HSE South (Cork & Kerry). The aim of the Walkway to Health is to encourage staff, patients & visitors to participate in physical activity. Each site in turn either develops a new walkway route or revamps an old one within the grounds of a Health Service Executive South facility. On this particular workplace site a Walkway to Health existed that consisted of a marked looped walkway of 450 metres and this was included in the challenge.

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Aim  Overall aim: To increase staff physical activity levels while at work and at home. Further aims: 1) Increase individual’s physical activity awareness 2) Increase the overall physical activity levels in the workplace 3) Create awareness of the health benefits of walking

The Challenge! The challenge takes place over a 4-week period Over the four weeks individuals measure the number of steps they walk daily using a stepometer and aim for different targets each week. Target at end of challenge = 10,000steps Each week also aim to incorporate the Walkway to Health a number of times per week

The Challenge! Week 1: Normal Routine Week 2: Highest step count from week 1 = daily target Walkway to Health x 3 Week 3: Add 500 steps to highest step count from week 1 Walkway to Health x 5 Week 4: Increase steps to achieve 10,000 at end of week Walkway to Health x 10

Implementing the Challenge The Health Promotion committee - representatives from all areas of the workplace. Posters were placed in all areas - start date. Committee members contact details on poster Names and deposits taken

Challenge Card Contents Guide to using a stepometer Do’s & Don’t’s Tip for increasing number of steps Current recommendations Challenge instructions Benefits of walking Safety advice 2 tables

12 Concluding the Challenge Cut-off date - 2 weeks after the end of the challenge Poster was displayed in all areas to highlight the finishing date and it asked participants to return their challenge cards to their department representative. Returned & completed challenge cards were entered into a prize draw. Prize draw - 3 weeks after the end of the challenge. Winner - advertised in the workplace newsletter.

13 Evaluating the Challenge Evaluation forms were devised One page - 9 questions in total Sent to all participants involved Even those participants that did not complete the challenge or return their challenge cards.

14 Results In total 65 staff members signed up for the challenge. Only 14 participants to return their evaluations. 12 of these participants felt that the challenge encouraged them to be more physically active while at work. Reasons for not increasing their physical activity at work were; “I was already fairly active” “Not hugely at work but did make me more aware of daily exercise” “Time”

15 Results (contd) Reasons for not completing the challenge included: “Acute phase of arthritic pains” “Did part of the challenge- didn’t complete it due to close uncle’s death” “I went on holiday to Tunisia one week but that didn’t affect my physical fitness” “I was on sick leave and unable to do the walkway however I did complete the walking challenge daily at home” All but 1 participant said they would take part in the challenge again.

16 Future Recommendations  Weekly progress checks  Weekly motivational posters “Keep It Up!” or “You Can Do It!”  Achieve the highest target on week 1 three times during week 2 and the highest of week 2, four times during week 3.

Any Questions??? Thank-You!