UGA Extension Banner Program Identify issue relevant to entire population: Georgia wellness Create program for simultaneous statewide delivery Engage communities Change sedentary lifestyles Reduce rates of preventable disease Increase participation to 100,000 Georgians in three years Decrease number of physically inactive people 5 percent per county in three years

At the core, this program encourages users to embrace physical activity in their daily lifestyle by easily quantifying and tracking their progress! It provides amazing research-based resources to equip individuals for physical activity and fitness (recipes, fitness demos, a blog & of course, fitness tracking) Empowers users by making local and community resources accessible (county resources, group tracking & events list)

The Motto is “Move More, Live More”!

Why is an emphasis on workplace wellness important? It’s Simple.

Goals of Walk Georgia Reduce costs: Research proves maintaining a healthy workforce can lower direct costs such as insurance premiums and worker’s compensation claims. It will also positively impact many indirect costs such as absenteeism and worker productivity. Better Business: Help improve Georgians’ quality of life by developing the habit of regular physical activity. Foster Community: Get encouragement from the people you see every day.

Data tells us that: The ROI (return on investment) on a comprehensive, well-run employee wellness programs can be as high as $6 to $1! Successful programs have 6 essential pillars: 1. Engaged leadership at multiple levels 2. Strategic alignment with the company's identity & aspirations 3. A design that is broad in scope and high in relevance and quality 4. Broad accessibility 5. Internal and external partnerships 6. Effective communications Companies reap big rewards in the form of lower health care costs, greater productivity, and higher morale. Source: Berry, Mirabito, Baun, “What's the Hard Return on Employee Wellness Programs?”, Harvard Business Review, December 2010

Walk Georgia provides you with the tools to implement all 6 pillars of an effective wellness program. It’s packaged in a super simple, easy-to-use website that’s user friendly. It’s designed to work specifically for groups, including businesses. In addition to tracking & measuring fitness, the site includes a sophisticated reporting system to quantify progress and encourage improvement! The site aims to keep employees fully equipped and encouraged, and we even have a help desk for administrators.

Did You Know? According to the CDC, overweight and obese men (BMI 25-35), miss approximately 2 more work days per year than normal-weight men, a 56% increase in missed days. Women with a BMI of 40 or higher miss 8.2 days, a 141% increase in missed days. That is almost one week more of missed work each year than normal-weight women.

Worksite Implementation Form a Employee Wellness Task Force Designate a Walk Georgia lead administrator Brainstorm sponsorship/partnership (Dodgeball Team anyone?) Implement competitions Interact with local organizations Support staff with weekly statistics/incentives Advertise to spouses Announce weekly level leaders Visit walkgeorgia.org for more information!

Registration and Group Set-up The following slides will show you: How to create a Walk Georgia account and log in How to create and join a group How to log activity

First, you create an account:

Next, you’ll see your home page:

Here, you can begin to log activity!

Like This…

More than 60 Types of Activities to Log! Active stretching Aerobics Badminton Basketball Biking / Cycling Bowling Calisthenics Canoeing / Kayaking Dancing Dynaband Elliptical trainer Exercise ball Football Frisbee / Catch Gardening Golf Gymnastics Heavy yard work Horseback riding Hunting Jump rope Martial arts Medicine ball Mowing Pilates Running Skating Skiing Soccer Softball Swimming Tennis Volleyball Walking Water activities Water jogging Weight lifting Yoga

You’ll start gaining points & motivation for the activities you do every week!

This awesome group divided into departments and awards prizes every 2 weeks!

This awesome city government created 10 teams who competed against each other in a 4-week challenge!

Employees that move together groove together! Foster teamwork, healthy attitudes, and healthy minds by fostering a culture of health!

Post-program: Work Day celebration (special lunch, prizes, etc.) Completion certificates Awards to top performers recognition Success stories County reporting

Contact us! Maria Bowie, Walk Georgia program director, can be reached at or Bridget Thompson, Walk Georgia editor, PR specialist, help desk, can be reached at or The help desk is always available by ing Visit walkgeorgia.orgwalkgeorgia.org