Sinead Flavin and Siobhan Hamilton 14th August 2014

Pedometer Challenge 2014Partners Information Session

Agenda11:30 Welcome, Refreshments and Introductions

11:45 Overview of the Pedometer Challenge & Role of the Workplace Coordinator

12:00 ‘How I Did It’ - Experience of a Workplace Coordinator - Irene Gilroy, Health Promotion Officer, St. Vincent's University Hospital

12:15 Registration and Team Captains Role and Leader Boards

12:30 Motivating Employees to be More Active- Slí na Sláinte - Active@Work Award

Ann Scanlon, Irish Heart Foundation

12:50 Questions

13:00 Close

What is the Pedometer Challenge?

Pedometer Challenge

• Fun & free annual event to promote walking• Teams of 3-6 people • Walk for four weeks (habit-forming)• Steps are logged on a pedometer• Participants aim for 10K steps per day• Encourages physical activity & modal shift

What did we achieve in 2013?

4,250 participants from 56 organisations took more than 1 billion steps, travelling

over 900,000 km during the 4 week Challenge

Participant Feedback

Fitness/ Exercise

It was or-ganised by my work-

place

For en-joyment

To support my col-leagues

To lose weight

To reduce my carbon footprint

To support the Irish

Heart Foundation

To win prizes

For health reasons

My col-leagues

persuaded me!

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

77%

43%

51%

41%

13%

7%

24%

4%

22%

12%

What were your TOP 3 reasons for participating in the Pedometer Challenge?

Participant Feedback

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

12%9%

12%

3%

9%

1%

51%

2% 2%0% 0% 0% 0%

BEFORE the Pedometer Challenge... How did you usually travel to work? Pick one box only for the longest part by distance of your typical journey

12% walked to/from work before the Challenge

Walking to Work Participant feedback

Yes, on a regular basis Yes, on an occasional/ one-off basis

No0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

28%

15%

57%

DURING the Challenge, did you walk to or from work?

45% walked to/from work on a regular or occasional basis during the Challenge

Walking to Work Participant Feedback

45% planned to walked to/from work on a regular or occasional after the Challenge

Yes, on a regular basis Yes, on an occasional/ one-off basis

No0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

26%

19%

54%

AFTER - Do you plan to walk to or from work now that the Challenge is over?

Participant Feedback

Did not benefit

Increased fitness

Feeling good about

myself

Making new friends at

work

Boost in staff morale

Enjoyed be-ing part of a

team

Reduced stress

Weight loss Increased activity

Other0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

2%

52% 51%

13%

44%

70%

16%13%

65%

5%

How did you and your team benefit from the Pedometer Challenge?

Coordinator Feedback

• 98% of respondents said colleagues enjoyed the Pedometer Challenge

• Most coordinators organised some activities and events in their workplace during the challenge

• 100% would encourage their organisation to take part in future Pedometer Challenges

Participant Photos

Waist Watchers, University Hospital Galway

Happy Feet, Cork County Council

6 Left Feet Team Trinity College Dublin

'Roadrunners' Team, Cork County Council

The Accelerators, University Hospital Galway

Knicker Walker Glories, Croke Park

Martin & The Golden Girls, Cook Medical

2014 Prizes

• Best Workplace Trophy

• Prizes of tablets for top 3 teams on the final leaderboard for desk and non-desk based

• Best Coordinator Prize

• One place worth approx €2,500 on Irish Heart Foundation 2015 overseas walk

• Spot prizes throughout the Challenge including activity trackers and goodie bags

2014 Pedometers

• Omron HJ005 & Silva Ex Step

• Used in previous events

• €10 – portion of every sale goes to the Irish Heart Foundation

• Retails at approx €12

• Available online through challenge website www.pedometerchallenge.ie

!!!!! NEW THIS YEAR !!!!!

• Only Steps on Your Pedometer Count!

• Activities you can record on your pedometer e.g. walking, gardening, jogging, aerobics.

• Activities where your pedometer is not a reliable measure such as swimming, cycling, rowing can’t be included.

• The use of an activity converter is no longer permitted for converting effort into steps.

• Evens up the competition!

How to Purchase Pedometers

NO Cash/Cheque Handling• Team Captain buys pedometers online at

www.pedometerchallenge.ie

• Using PayPal – need a credit or debit card

• Print out receipt & gives to Coordinator in

exchange for Pedometers

• Coordinator returns receipts to NTA Smarter Travel Team

If participants already have a pedometer they can use it.

Faulty/ Lost Pedometers

• Faulty: replace free of charge– coordinator please test and return to us with completed ‘faulty pedometer form’

• Lost – must repurchase

Pedometers

Buying pedometers on behalf of employees:

• Use a company credit card & PayPal (10, 50 or 100 units)

Unsold units:

• If you have a large number of unused pedometers once event begins – please return most of them (keep some replacements)!

• End of event – return all unsold units

All unsold units and PayPal receipts must be returned by 31st October 2014.

Pedometer Challenge 2014

Participants should aim for 10,000 steps per day. Steps should be built up gradually.

Weekly ‘Virtual’ Challenge Team Pledge

Promoting the Event

Publicising to Colleagues

• Email all staff (email text provided)• Newsletter & Intranet• Posters in halls, canteens, lifts, toilet doors• Present at management & team meetings• Sign up PC in canteen over lunch – get help• Create internal competition• Give it a last big push in early Sept. - have a

launch event, e.g. lunchtime walk!

• Promote from next week!!

Getting Management Support

Why get involved?

• Increases physical activity and employee wellbeing

• Contributes to team building

• Reduces pressure on parking

• Positive publicity

75% of adults &

86% of children in

Ireland

DO NOT MEET

the relevant National

Physical Activity

Guidelines.

Keeping Colleagues Motivated During the Challenge

Sponsor Internal Prizes

• Inter and intra-departmental competition

• Staff vs Management

• Internal prizes – more chance of winning, more local involvement

• Great content for newsletters/intranet

My Experience

Irene Gilroy, Health Promotion OfficerSt. Vincent’s University Hospital

St. Vincent’s University Hospital (SVUH)

Pedometer Challenge 2013

11th September - 8th October 2013

Planning process

• Identify a coordinator

• Enlist assistance

• Set a challenge

• Arrange motivational events

• Prize giving event

Setting the target

Can your team walk to Westport in 28 days!

SVUH

Westport

Why Westport?• 268km from SVUH to

Westport• 8km = 10,000 steps• SVUH to Westport = 335,000

Steps• Challenge = 28 days• Team would have to average

12,000 steps per day to reach Westport in 28 days

• Virtual challenge

Seeking participation

• Participation – built on each year

• Factors which encouraged participation:– Involvement in previous challenges

– Interdepartmental competition

– Individuals wanted to become more active

– Staff wanted to be part of something

– Good weather

– And of course…PRIZES!

In order for staff to become involved, they have to know

about it!

Communication, Communication, Communication

Communication methods• All users emails• Newsletters• Posters• Word of mouth• Heads of Department

meetings• Staff briefings• “Who took the most

steps?” competition• Information stands

Active@work Day

• 11th September• Badminton Ireland• Sports clubs from

within SVUH and from the local area

• Competitions• Prizes!!

Maintaining motivation

• Map of Ireland was set up in hospital showing how far each team is along the road to Westport each week.

• Encouraged staff to work harder to reach Westport before the end of the challenge.

• Served as a promotional tool for the

Maintaining motivation

Interdepartmental competition was rife!

Outcome• 34 teams signed up in

SVUH• 30 teams finished the

challenge• 174 staff took part (up

from 77 in 2012)• 23 (77%) teams made it

to Westport and some were on their way back to Dublin

The Pedometer Challenge Winners!

939,145 steps – enough to take them to

Westport, back to Dublin and back to Westport again!

‘Walking on the Wild Side’

The Tone Rangers

Haematology A

How the winning team did it…

“We walked or cycled to work instead of commuting and also scheduled in team lunchtime walks on the Slí na Sláinte walking route around the hospital.

…..We increased (perhaps a little obsessively!) our after-work exercise routines including going swimming, playing tennis, tag rugby, jogging, walking the dog and general walking and cycling. After the first week, an evening did not go by that we all did not complete some form of exercise.”

“Two of our team did a lot of cycling, on average 2 hours each evening. Another team member reported to really increase their dog walking activities!!

….At weekends, the two cyclists targeted a very lengthy and challenging cycle.

….On one particular night out, we all avoided using taxis, to instead walk home!!

….From an early stage we used weekends to target big scores, initially, 40,000 was the target, but that soon increased to 55,000 and over on a few occasions.”

How the winning team did it…

How the winning team did it…

….As we were doing well, we kept an eye on what the top team was achieving and calculated what we needed to do to be in with a chance and set targets as a result, again our approach was definitely obsessive!”

….We walked a lot, laughed a lot, and felt an enormous sense of achievement in completing such a strongly supported national challenge. We genuinely hope to be involved again in 2014.”

Another “regular” participant….

“Since I started the pedometer challenge I am much more conscious of what I am doing walking-wise on a daily basis.

….We have a circle route around our hospital campus that I enjoy traversing to get air and relaxation and exercise, and I cycle to and from work.

….All in all it is proving to be a very worthwhile exercise in every way. I generally feel a lot better, and it is very good for relaxing given the stressful nature of my work at times.”

Key Learning/Tips

• Make it fun!!• Make it achievable!• Make it easy to participate!• Events to maintain motivation through out

the four weeks.

Registration/ Step Logging/ Leader Boards/ FAQs

All online!

Individual Step Logs

Go Online to download and printout

Provide a copy to participants with pedometer

Registration – Team Captain only

pedometerchallenge.ie

Please let your ITdepartment know thatyour colleagues willbe accessing this site!

smartertravelworkplaces.ie

Please note that only theteam captain must havean email address

Team Captain Registration

Complete Personal Details

Complete Team Details

Team Captains – Log Steps

Click on the date you wish to record steps for

Enter Team Steps

Enter steps for each team member beside their name

See Team Captain Savings & Average Team Steps

Active Travel Logger

• Steps can be entered on a daily or weekly basis by Team Captain

• Back-logging possible for one week

• Excel sheet for Team Captains to keep records – download from website

Team Statistics

Organisation Statistics

Leader Boards

Leader Boards

• Updated after Week1 on Tuesdays and Fridays.

• Steps to be logged by 2pm each Monday and 2pm every Thursday to be included in the weekly and mid-week leaderboards.

• Final Leader Board – after event ends and QA has been conducted!

• You can download leaderboard for your workplace online and put it on display in your workplace (noticeboards/intranet)

Kick-off

• Participants can register online from next week (you’ll be sent an email reminder)

• Posters- please take these today

• Step Logs/ Pedometers sent to you from next week

• Publicise from next week so teams start forming

Key Dates

• Pedometer Challenge Starts Monday 8th September

• European Mobility Week 16th -22nd September

• World Heart Day Monday 29th September

• Pedometer Challenge Ends Sunday 5th Oct

• Final day to log steps Wednesday 8th October at 2pm.

Next steps…your role!

1. Publicise the event – put up posters & circulate email text provided

2. Help teams find each other (if required)

3. Receive and manage pedometers4. Provide Pedometers to participants in

exchange for PayPal receipts5. Return PayPal receipts and unused

Pedometers to NTA following the challenge (by 31st Oct 2014).

Motivating Employees to be More ActiveSlí na Sláinte

Active@Work AwardWhere does your Fundraising Go?

Ann Scanlon Workplace Health Promotion Officer

Step up to the challenge!

Ann ScanlonHealth Promotion Officer

www.irishheart.ie www.stroke.ie

What do we do?

Where your money goes?

Quiz

How much moderate intensity physical activity is recommended for heart health?

20 minutes daily

 

30 minutes three times a week

 

At least 30 minutes five days of the week?

Quiz Physical inactivity carries a similar health risk to that of

smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol?

  True False

Some facts!

• Physical inactivity carries a similar health risk as smoking, high cholesterol and high blood pressure (Bauman 1998)

but yet• Over ½ the Irish population is

inactive• Higher social classes more active• Men remain active for longer than 6

months compared to women (SLAN 2008)

Your programme

• Creating awareness• Changing behaviour• Changing the environment

Are employees in your company ready to Step up to the

Pedometer Challenge?• Physical readiness • Psychological

readiness- bigger barrier

Are employees in your company ready to Step up to the

Pedometer Challenge?• Physical readiness • Psychological

readiness- bigger barrier

What are barriers to activity?

Common barriers to getting active

• Time• Weather • Inconvenient • Lack self-motivation, self confidence• Fear of injury• Lack support/encouragement• No parks, bicycle trails, walking

paths• Cost

Exploring the mindset?Pre-contemplat

ion (Inactive +

not thinking

about PA) Contempla

tion (Inactive +

thinking about PA)

Preparation (Doing some PA)

Action (Doing

enough PA but for less

than 6 mths)

Maintenance (PA is a

habit)

• NO, I’m not physically active now and don’t have plans to change

• NO, I’m not physically active now but I’m thinking about being active in the next 6 months

• NO, I’m not physically active now but I plan to become active in the next 30 days

• YES, I’m physically active now but it has been less than 6 months since I started

• YES, I’ve been physically active for more than 6 months

How do your employees measure up?

Raising Awareness

• Increase knowledge ( leaflets, ezine)• Understanding benefits of being active• Be aware of risk (Inactivity and health

risks)• Increasing healthy opportunities (short

breaks at work)

Increase motivation

• Make if fun and enjoyable –how you advertise it• Make it achievable –goal setting • Introduce small changes- parking car further away,

take the stairs• Reduce boredom-vary walking route, walk with

friends etc• Support PA breaks during the day

Increase motivation• Map out local public transport, Dublin Bike

station map• Set up lunch-time walking group• Signage at lifts-count out steps to different

locations in office• Provide bike racks/shower locker facilities• Promote walking meetings• Liaise with local fitness centres for discounts• Provide weather gear at reception• On site classes

Encouraging change• Substituting alternatives (PA when tired or

stressed, walk after dinner)• Social support (family, workplace,

workmates)• Reward oneself (goals and reward for

achievement)• Commitment (plans)• Reminders (runners at work)

Slí na Sláínte

Slí na Sláinte mapped workplace routes

Slí na Sláínte

‘Time to Walk’ Signs From here to:

(Location e.g. Town Centre) Distance in Km (time it takes in minutes)

Multiple distance in Km x 12.5 minutes to work out average walking time

Indoor signage

Slí na Sláínte

Walking Leader Training

Slí na Sláínte

Slí na Sláinte ProgrammeEdel Byrne

ebyrne@irishheart.iewww.irishheart.ie/sli

Active@Work Award

• All workplaces can apply• Bronze, Silver, Gold level

Can you apply?

• YES! Already meeting Bronze levelMust meet criteria

• Management buy-in • Active@Work champion and team • Identifying employees’ needs • Communication with employees vital • Inactive people participate in

programmes

Achieving the award

• Register: email ascanlon@irishheart.ie

• Decide which level• Portfolio of evidence (October 2014)• Co-ordinator and Employees’ survey• Certificate of Achievement• Award Ceremony November 2014

Bronze Award

• Baseline survey• Create awareness •One 4-5 week physical activity programme • Programmes inclusive of all workers• Reduce sedentary activity• Company/employee survey

Silver AwardMeet criteria for Bronze Award plus............• 2 physical activity programmes 4 weeks• Links to local walking/sporting organisations•Develop component of Slí na Sláinte workplace programme (or similar programme)

Gold Award

Meet criteria for silver award plus....

• Walking group•National campaigns• Total of 3 physical activity programmes•Workplace policy • Encourage active commuting

Cost of active@work programme

• For organisations with 50 employees or less: No charge

• For organisations with 51-300 employees: €100

• For organistaions with 301-500 employees: €200

• For organisations with 500 or more employees: €300

Review of workplace interventions

Workplace walking interventions that focus on:

• Facilitated goal setting• Diaries• Self- monitoring• Walking routesCan increase walking/step countA review of Effectiveness of workplace Heath Promotion Interventionson Physical activity and what works in motivating and changing employees’ health Dugdill et

al 2008 www.nice.org.uk

Irish Heart Month 2014

www.irishheart.ie/saywhensooner

• Magazine 24 page• Posters• Wallet card with

information on standard drink

Happy Heart at Work

•Healthy Eating Award•Health Checks•Physical Activity

For more information

• www.irishheart.ie• Email:ascanlon@irishheart.ie• Telephone: 01-6346956 DD

Queries

www.pedometerchallenge.ie

pedometerchallenge@smartertravelworkplaces.ie

Best of Luck!