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Walking Program
Benefits & Compensation
Walking Program
Exchange ideas about health plans, retirement, work/life benefits, and employee assistance.
Does anyone have any suggestions on operating a walking program? The company I work for offers worksite wellness. A year ago, the company developed a walking program. Any employee interested could par
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Forums » Topic Forums » Benefits & Compensation » Walking Program
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Walking Program
posted at 7/28/2010 6:49 AM EDT
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Posts: 5
First: 7/28/2010 Last: 7/28/2010 |
Does anyone have any suggestions on operating a walking program? The company I work for offers worksite wellness. A year ago, the company developed a walking program. Any employee interested could participate in the four-week program. Individuals track steps daily and report their weekly results to their team leader. We randomly grouped individuals on teams. We obviously are trying to encourage our employees to be active. The problem is that we have regular workout enthusiasts who get hundreds of thousands of steps in a week or try to go above and beyond their "normal" routine, while we also have those who do not exercise that much, who beat themselves up for barely getting above the recommended 10,000 steps a day. Everyone who participates in the program receives something and the winning team receives a homemade trophy. But the program took a wrong turn and we're trying to figure out how to correct the problem. Any suggestions? |
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Walking Program
posted at 7/28/2010 9:07 AM EDT
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Posts: 5
First: 7/28/2010 Last: 7/28/2010 |
It's caused issues of competitiveness and discouragement among employees. We started this program as a way to encourage employees to exercise. Now, we're hearing grumblings from those who don't normally exercise saying they're discouraged. Those who do normally exercise are feeling like they have to explain why they or their team has as many steps as they do. We're just trying to figure out how people have their programs set up. We post total team step results weekly. While the majority of the company does not have access to each individual's results, each team captain does. |
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Walking Program
posted at 7/28/2010 9:09 AM EDT
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Posts: 2146
First: 2/15/2006 Last: 9/14/2011 |
Could you base it on where they are starting out? That is if a person already runs 3 times a week it would be about increasing their activity above that?
Or have levels such as runner, jogger, walker and sitter? Such that they are competing against those on their own level or at least you could make the teams more even? |
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Walking Program
posted at 7/28/2010 10:10 AM EDT
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Posts: 2442
First: 2/12/2000 Last: 9/14/2011 |
It sounds like the issue of being put on a team and feeling obligated to step. I do not believe this is the best approach. Exercise or the lack there of is an individual thing and should not be made competetive and have trophys.
Here are some alternatives: 1. go back to individual goals and allow for individual coaching where requested. 2. "Reward" by lower insurance premiums, those that can demonstrate regular exercise that meets minimum requirements. If 10,000 steps a day is the threshold for the insurance reduction then that is your plan. I would not provide extra reduction for those that do many multiples more than this but that is your call. 3. Reward by lower insurance premiums those that can demonstrate that they have lost weight or lowered their colesteral or lowered their blood pressure. Keep your eye on the target which is to increase the overall wellness of the organization. Any program that can do this will pay off in benefits. e.g. Do you reward for smoking cessation? |
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Walking Program
posted at 7/28/2010 11:53 AM EDT
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Posts: 464
First: 6/30/2004 Last: 11/22/2010 |
We set a "baseline" by having participating employees track their normal week before we actual implemented the program. We did not care too much about those that were already active, but instead were focused on the couch potatoes that needed to get moving. We set up some prizes for anyone who could exceed their monthlybaseline by a set number, then purchased pedometers for them and set up spreadsheets for them to record their steps. We also got some conversion charts for those that would rather swim than walk and other activitie instead of walking.
Very popular for a while, but after the first several months, lots of folks were experiencing what you describe. People have lots of issues that prevent them from getting well through nutrition and activity. Fundamental "lightning strike" changes must occur for them to achieve a long term life style change. |
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Walking Program
posted at 7/28/2010 1:21 PM EDT
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Posts: 544
First: 9/27/2004 Last: 9/13/2011 |
We have a reduction in health insurance premiums for participants who earn a certain number of points by participating in various kinds of activities. Participants choose between a wide range of healthy behaviors (more than 50) that are worth between 5 and 100 points, the target is 1000 points a year.
They have one year to earn all the points, if they don't earn all of them, they don't get the discount. The activities include things like exercise programs, joining Weight Watchers, abstaining from fast foods for x number of weeks, getting a flu shot, preventive check-ups, attending workshops, opting for healthy choice meals once a week, completing health surveys etc. There is something for everyone although it is hard to earn all the points without some commitment to exercise. Our program is based on an "honor system" but I have seen other organizations that provide discounts to health premiums once they see proof of participation like a receipt for joining a health club or meeting a specified weight goal. The discounts are believed to pay for themselves. The research claims that for every $1 spent on a wellness program $3 to $5 are saved, even in short-term. |
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