Step-by-Step: A Walking Campaign - Minnesota Be like a postage stamp—stick to one thing until you get there. ... reaping benefits of good health. And, ... to list the benefits of

A D Y N A M I C I N C E N T I V E C A M P A I G N

W E L L N E S S C O U N C I L S O F A M E R I C A

INSIDE: Detailed Program Overview ü

Easy-to-Follow Coordinator Materials ü

Engaging Participant Materials ü

And Much More... ü

Step-By-Step

Walking Your Way To Wellness

Copyright and Disclosure

All rights reserved. All handouts and supplemental materials may be copied for personal use only, not for reprinting in any other publication, distribution, or resale. For permission to reproduce from

this publication or for information about other publications on corporate health promotion, e-mail or call the Wellness Councils of America at [email protected], 402-827-3590.

Step By StepA Walking Incentive Campaign

Executive EditorDavid M. Hunnicutt, PhD

President, Wellness Councils of America

Assistant EditorsCraig Johnson

Managing Editor, Wellness Councils of America

Carie Maguire, Sara Spurgin, Marice Reyes Staff Writers, Wellness Councils of America

DesignPaul Burner

Slide Arts Graphic Design

AcknowledgementsSincere thanks to Kerry Juhl, Executive Director of the Wellness Council

of Central Iowa, for her contribution to the development of this incentive campaign.

Published and Distributed byThe Wellness Councils of America (WELCOA)

9802 Nicholas Street, Suite 315Omaha, NE 68114-2106

Phone: (402) 827-3590Fax: (402) 827-3594

WEBSITE: www.welcoa.orgE-MAIL: [email protected]

© 2001 Wellness Councils of America

prefaceFor over a decade, The Wellness Councils of America (WELCOA) has been dedi-cated to building and sustaining world-class corporate wellness programs. Ourstaff, directors, medical advisors, and local councils have assisted hundreds oforganizations in transforming their corporate cultures into health conscious,wellness-oriented environments. With over 2,000 member organizationsthroughout North America and 11 locally affiliated community “WellnessCouncils,” we are recognized as the premier resource for worksite wellness.

In our continuing efforts to promote wellness in the workplace, we are proud tointroduce Step by Step, a walking incentive campaign. This campaign has beendesigned to get your employees more physically active and ultimately improvetheir health.

With this incentive campaign, you’ll discover that implementing a wellness ini-tiative is easier than you think. We have provided an easy to follow guide that willhelp you through each step of this campaign. Even more, we have includedeverything you will need, from a letter to your CEO to program evaluation forms.

By simply using this step-by-step guide, you can get your employees moving andin time, reap the benefits of a healthy workforce—whether it’s in the form oflower healthcare costs, increased productivity, or higher worker morale.

With Step by Step, you have the necessary tools to move your company forwardin the realm of wellness. You have already taken one step in the right direction bypurchasing this incentive campaign. So, take a deep breath, take another step,and get started today!

S T E P B Y S T E P I N C E N T I V E C A M P A I G N

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“Be like a postage stamp—stick to one thing until you get there.”

—JOSH BILLINGS

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table of contentsProgram Overview ................................................................ 6An introduction to the overall goals and objectives of the incentive campaign.

Coordinator Materials .......................................................... 9A simple step-by-step guide to help you with the campaign. It’s all here—from the planning stage all the way to the evaluation phase.

Participant Materials .......................................................... 33Twelve motivational and educational weekly handouts that will help keep participants on track.

Supplemental Materials .................................................... 61All the extra tools and materials you need to deliver a complete campaign.


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Step by Step

A Walking Program for Your Employees

Imagine a physically active company—

employees moving about, celebrating

physical activity, walking together in

peer groups, developing friend-

ships…reaping benefits of good

health. And, all the while, the company enjoys

reduced health risks and lower medical costs.

WELCOA’s incentive campaign will help you

realize that dream.


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“Progress always involves risk; you can't steal second base

and keep your feet on first.”

—FREDERICK WILCOX

The GoalThe goal of this incentive campaignis to get your employees more physi-cally active! Specifically, the goal is tohave each of your participants walk-ing 10,000 steps a day—approxi-mately five miles.

Sound like a lot? Maybe so, consider-ing the average American only takesaround 3,000 to 5,000 steps a day.But this isn’t enough—experts rec-ommend about 10,000 steps a day toachieve the health benefits associat-ed with physical activity. And, if youincorporate the use of pedometers(small, electronic devices that keeptrack of steps taken), tracking thisinformation becomes easier thanyou think! The pedometer is anexcellent tool that allows you andparticipants to easily monitor stepstaken during the day. And, it’s aproven motivational piece—partici-pants wearing pedometers can seetheir progress throughout the day.

Still sound like a lot of work? Don’tworry—this goal is by no meansunreachable. In fact, we’ve taken thetime and appropriate measures tohelp you run this program smoothlyand make a significant impact onyour employees’ health behaviors.All of the steps and materials youneed are enclosed!

In the pages to come, you’ll find acoordinator’s guide complete withthe essential steps needed to carryout the entire campaign. We’ve alsoincluded weekly participant hand-

outs—all you need to do is makecopies. In the last section of thispacket, you’ll find all of the supple-mental materials you need—regis-tration forms, promotional pieces, asample letter to the CEO, a samplenewsletter article, pre and post cam-paign surveys, and evaluation forms.

The OutcomeThere’s no doubt about it, WELCOA’sStep by Step walking campaign willhelp get your employees active. Andas the weeks of the program go by,you’ll discover that you really can’tlose—even if some participants don’treach their goals, they will stillundoubtedly make progress. You’llalso be pleased to discover that theprogram will create a buzz—non-participants will be curious aboutthe changes their fellow co-workersare making as a result of the pro-gram. In turn, participants will beeducating those who are notinvolved with Step by Step—every-body wins!

It’s really quite simple— follow theenclosed guide, get participantswalking, and enjoy the benefits ofhealthy, active employees. Oh and bythe way, if you should have any com-ments concerning the program,don’t hesitate to contact us online atwww.welcoa.org and we’ll be intouch with you within 24 hours.

One last thing…practice what youpreach—don’t forget to put on yourwalking shoes!


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Step by Step – An Overview


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5 Easy Steps… Implementing Your WELCOA Incentive CampaignWELCOA’S Step by Step walking incentive campaign is a 12-week program thatcan be implemented at any time of the year. While executing a wellness initia-tive is not an easy task, we’ve simplified the process—preparation and deliveryof the program can be skillfully performed by following five simple steps.

Step 1: Planning your campaign Pages 9-13

Step 2: Promoting your activities Pages 15-18

Step 3: Registering your employees Pages 19-22

Step 4: Delivering your campaign Pages 23-26

Step 5: Evaluating your efforts Pages 27-29

5 EASY STEPS: Implementing Your WELCOA Incentive Campaign

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STEP ONE: Planning Your Campaign

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1planning your cam

paign

Appropriate planning is necessary

before you begin any health

promotion program, and this

incentive campaign is no

different. Of course, planning is

best done when you have months in advance

to do it. Unfortunately, not all of us have this

luxury. That’s why we’ve made the essential

planning steps an easy, hassle-free process—

from the moment you begin, all the way to the

final stages of evaluation.

“I’m just preparing my impromptu remarks.”

— WINSTON CHURCHILL

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Get senior level support andapproval. This is really the first cru-cial step when planning your incen-tive campaign. Senior level support isessential for the integration of theprogram into the organization, not tomention the fact that senior execu-tives are the ones who have the finalsay on matters of resources andbudget.

Even though you may have neverworked with senior level executives,there’s no reason to run from it—gaining senior level support doesn’thave to be a terrifying experience. Itcan be a simple task if you’re armedwith the right information and theright attitude. Just by dropping a sim-ple, straight-to-the-point letter or e-mail, you can make the case to seniorexecutives. This letter should com-municate the need and purpose ofthe incentive campaign, how employ-ees will be participating, and theresults you expect to achieve. We haveenclosed a sample letter in theSupplemental Materials section.

Set goals and objectives. Establishingyour campaign goals and objectivesnot only helps you to determine whatyou hope to accomplish, but moreimportantly it allows you to properlyevaluate your efforts at the program’send. Remember, if you don’t writegoals and objectives at the beginningof the campaign, it will be virtuallyimpossible to quantify your success.

So what’s the best way to write goodgoals and objectives? It’s easier thanyou think. First, make sure that yourgoals and objectives are clearly statedand specific enough that they can beprecisely measured. You might wantto consider the questions below whendetermining the goals for this incen-tive campaign.

� How many people or what per-centage of your employee popula-tion would you like to participatein the program?

� How many do you expect to com-plete the program?

� How many employees do youexpect to accomplish their goals?

� What overall benefits for the com-pany do you predict as a result ofthis campaign?

Answer these questions and you’vealmost already written your goals andobjectives for the Step by Step cam-paign.

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planning your campaign

Determining Your Goalsand ObjectivesBelow is a list of goals and objectivesyou may want to consider whenplanning your program.

Sample Goals:� To increase physical activity

among employees.

� To increase educational aware-ness among employees about thebenefits of walking.

� To motivate employees towardmaking positive health behaviorchanges.

� To collect data to support futureprogram decisions.

Sample Objectives:� To have 25% of the employee pop-

ulation participating in the Stepby Step incentive campaign.

� To have 85% of participants ableto list the benefits of walking bythe program’s end.

� To achieve a 90% participantcompletion rate.

� To obtain at least a 50% successrate for participants reaching thegoal of 10,000 steps a day.

Recruit a team. If you don’t alreadyhave a wellness team in your compa-ny, it might be a good idea to putone together. Remember: Teamslighten the load. As you go aboutestablishing your wellness team,you’ll want to make sure that you getthe right people involved (e.g., bigpicture thinkers, worker bees, hardcore volunteers, etc.). You’ll alsowant this team to be as diverse aspossible to get a wide perspective ofwhat your employees want/need asfar as this program goes. If you’resuccessful, your wellness team willprovide the support and guidance tosuccessfully execute one of the bestprograms your company has everoffered.

Develop a budget. Once you’ve madeit this far, it’s time to organize yourbudget. The good thing about thisincentive campaign is that you don’tneed big bucks to be successful. Sowhat kind of expenses can youexpect to incur? Great question.You’ll need to set aside some dollarsfor basic printing costs as well ascosts for incentives and prizes.

Believe it or not, there’s no magic for-mula for developing an incentivecampaign budget, but there are somethings you ought to consider. Forexample, if you want employees tosee how active (or inactive) they areduring the course of a day, your budg-et might be best spent on pedome-ters—small, electronic devices thatcalculate the number of steps takenover a given period of time.

1S T E P B Y S T E P I N C E N T I V E C A M P A I G N

11STEP ONE: Planning Your Campaign

Or, if you want your employees toreally learn more about physicalactivity, you may want to set asidesome resources for brown bag seminars or other educational opportunities.

Incentives are another key factorwhen organizing your budget. Youcan buy every participant an incen-tive prize, or you can think big andhold a drawing for a free trip. Thiselement of the campaign is com-pletely up to you, and to make yourlife easier, we’ve included a list ofpossible incentives in Step 4:Delivering Your Campaign.

If you don’t have a sizeable budget,you may want to consider chargingparticipants registration fees to coverthe costs. And, of course, we’veincluded a pro’s and con’s list to helpyou weigh your options—this list canbe found in Step 3: Registering YourEmployees.

Whatever you decide to do, makesure that you’ve budgeted for it andthat you’ve cleared it with yoursupervisors.

The bottom line. Some finalthoughts about campaign planning:If you’ve delivered a wellness incen-tive campaign before, then all of thisinformation is old hat to you. But, ifyou’re a first timer, you might be alittle overwhelmed. Not to worry! Tohelp you sort through the details ofplanning your campaign, we’veenclosed a handy timeline at the endof the Coordinator’s Materials sec-tion that you can follow.

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Recruiting Your...Wellness TeamWhen putting together your well-ness team, there is one key ele-ment to keep in mind—diversity. Infact, the more diverse the group,the better. Bringing togetherunique individuals will allow youto cover a wide range of perspec-tives when it comes to the deliveryof your incentive campaign.

Keep the following in mind whencreating your ideal wellness team.

Personalities to look for:

• Outgoing/Charismatic

• Disciplined/Organized

• Creative

• Detailed/Meticulous

• Sympathetic

Possible departments to recruitfrom:

• Benefits

• Human Resources

• Communications/PublicRelations

• Marketing

• Accounting/Finance

While some of these departmentsmay not exist or be available atyour organization, just be sure tokeep diversity one of your top pri-orities.

planning your campaign

Sample Budget

Promotional Materials Cost

Printing of materials $___________

Flyers $___________

Home mailings $___________

Posters $___________

Signs $___________

Banners $___________

Campaign newsletters $___________

Misc. materials $___________

Paperwork

Copies $___________

Correspondence $___________

Filing materials $___________

Incentives

Prizes for registration $___________

Weekly prizes $___________

Prizes for winners $___________

Pedometers $___________

Program T-shirts $___________

Meetings

Refreshments $___________

Speakers $___________

Renting of facility (if applicable) $___________

Celebration party $___________


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promoting your activities


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Promoting your activities is the

second key step in the successful

delivery of the Step by Step

incentive campaign. If carried

out properly, it’s the element that

informs and gets employees excited. So get

creative and have some fun!

STEP TWO: Promoting Your Activities

“Catch on fire with enthusiasm and people will come for

miles to watch you burn.”

—JOHN WESLEY

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Find the “hot spots.” Identify hightraffic areas in your building (e.g.,break rooms, bathrooms, coffeemachines, water coolers, etc.). Theseare the areas you will want to targetfor your promotional material. Makesure that your information is clear,easy to understand, and printed inlarge enough letters that people caneasily read it when passing by. Andhere’s a novel idea: Always let peopleknow how they can sign up and whothey can contact for the details. You’dbe amazed at the number of wellnesspractitioners who get people excitedbut never close the deal.

Diversify, diversify, diversify. To suc-cessfully get your message out, youneed to think about using all thechannels of communication at yourdisposal. For example, company bill-boards, newsletters, Internet orintranet sites, and important meet-ings are just a few of the ways youcan better promote your activities.Once you’ve decided where you willpromote, you need to choose whattype of materials to utilize. There areseveral options to choose from,including posters, table tents, pay-check stuffers, or even e-mails. Nomatter what you decide, be sure toinclude the basics—who, what, why,when, and where.

Timing is everything. Another stepto effective promotion is determin-ing the right time to deliver the mes-sage. You may want to take advan-tage of company-wide or depart-

mental meetings, luncheons, orsocial gatherings such as a holidayparty or birthday celebration.

Enroll your informal leaders. Thinkabout this: If you stripped awayeverybody’s job title, who wouldpeople choose to follow? Onceyou’ve answered this question,you’ve successfully identified yourcompany’s informal leaders—theseare the key people that you want totake part in your program. And, ifyou’re really smart, you’ll leveragetheir participation by using them ashonorary chairpersons. If you do thiscorrectly, you’ll be surprised howmuch mileage and support you’ll getout of this approach.

The bottom line. Just keep in mindthat when it comes to promoting,the best way to ensure a largeturnout is to use as many means andmethods as possible. Different peo-ple respond to different stimuli, so inmost cases going the extra mile paysbig dividends.

To help get you started on your questto successful promotion, we’veincluded a list of sample promotion-al mechanisms and some really coolposters in the SupplementalMaterials section.


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Walk Out on Your Job!A case studyCreativity is often key to recruiting and maintaining program participation.And hardly anyone knows this better than the city of Kearney, Nebraska.Known as “Walk Out On Your Job Day,” the entire community of Kearney holdsa walk-out once a year. During this event, employees are encouraged to get upfrom their desks and walk. Not only do they get a break from the stresses oftheir day, but they also get to enjoy the benefits of exercise.

Here’s how you can do the same for your employees:

1. Choose a date, and formally declare it as “Walk Out On Your Job Day.” Hangup posters describing the event in high traffic areas. Or better yet, have yourCEO roll out the details at a company-wide meeting.

2. When the appointed day and time comes, have employees gather at onecentral location, such as the company parking lot.

3. To avoid confusion, give each employee a map of the walking route.

4. Upon returning from the walk, reward employees with t-shirts, coffee mugs,or certificates that signify that they participated.


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Promotional IdeasIf you want your employees to beexcited and to participate in yourprograms, you must start by promot-ing your new initiative for wellness.This doesn’t have to be a dauntingtask—when it comes to promotingyour programs, you can be as cre-ative as you wish. However, if yourcreative juices are running low, lookto the examples below.

� Create a “Mission Control”—designate a central location whereemployees can learn and accessprogram information.

� Post it—post weekly handouts ona bulletin board in high trafficareas, such as the cafeteria orbreak room. Change the boardevery week to include all of thehandouts over the 12-week period.

� Utilize e-mail—send weekly e-mails to keep in touch with participants. This is a fast and convenient method to send outpre and post program campaignsurveys and evaluations. Or youcould even e-mail participantssupplemental websites that canserve as helpful references duringthe program.

� Advertise—promote the programin company newsletters, memos,meetings, or paycheck stuffers.The company intranet (if you haveone) is also a great method of get-ting the word out.

� Send out mailings—if your budgetallows, mail tri-fold flyers to everyemployees’ home, informing themof the upcoming program. Keep inmind that these mailings shouldnot only be informative, but visu-ally appealing enough to holdinterest (i.e., they shouldn’t becrammed with text).

� Get in touch with management—inform department heads of theprogram and encourage them topass on the info. Make sure youleave them with some form of hardcopy information that they canpass on to their employees. Betteryet, leave them with a registrationform that they can pass around.

� Entice participants—offer incen-tives to the first 5 or 10 employeeswho sign up. This could help to getthe ball rolling—if employees see alarge number of their coworkerssigning up, they may be moreinclined to do the same.

� Schedule a speaker—arrange foreither a fitness expert or anemployee who’s had success with asimilar type of exercise regimen toshare their stories. This type ofpre-program promotion can moti-vate and inspire others to join.


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Now that you’ve caught the

interest of your employees,

it’s time to get a written

commitment. And although

this step is not all that

exciting, it’s a crucial element of the process.

STEP THREE: Registering Your Employees

“Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”

—GOETHE

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Disseminate the paperwork. Find acentral location to post registrationforms—you might want to use thesame “hot spots” that were utilizedin the promotion stage. Make sure toprovide all contact information ifparticipants have any questions.You’ll probably also want to includeregistration deadlines and otherimportant dates. One particularapproach that works well is hosting abrown bag seminar that discussesthe benefits of walking and gives youthe opportunity to formally roll outthe details of your campaign. Byhosting this type of informal gather-ing, you can distribute your registra-tion forms and collect them right onthe spot—can it get any easier?

Whatever method you decide on, it’sessential you get your registrationforms formally completed. In sodoing, you’ll have all of the neces-sary paperwork to help you stay intouch with participants throughoutthe campaign. Refer to the registra-tion form provided for you in theSupplemental Materials section.

Distribute pre campaign surveys.Once you have collected the registra-tion materials, the next step is hand-ing out pre campaign surveys. Likethe registration form, it’s importantthat every participant completes thesurvey BEFORE the program starts.In a nutshell, this short survey allowsyou to collect important data aboutparticipant fitness levels and howmuch they know about the benefitsof walking. This survey is an indica-

tor of where participants stand fit-ness wise, and this information willprove to be invaluable when itcomes to the evaluation stage.

Create files. To keep track of everyparticipant, we encourage you tocreate a file for each individual. Thisfile can include pre and post cam-paign surveys, activity logs, and eval-uation forms. Without question,these files will help you stay organ-ized so you can easily access infor-mation, gauge every participant’sprogress, and identify what specificareas participants need to improve.

The bottom line. Although it mightseem like a tedious task, collectingregistration data is extremely impor-tant to successfully delivering yourprogram. To make sure that the reg-istration process doesn’t cause youto stumble, we’ve provided the nec-essary materials to get you throughthe process. Sample registrationforms and pre and post campaignsurveys are located in theSupplemental Materials section.


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To Charge or Not to Charge…Registration FeesWhen it comes to program registration fees, what works for one organizationmay not work for yours. Whether or not to charge employees for participatingis totally up to you and your available budget. Below are a few considerationsyou’ll want to keep in mind before you make your decision.

Some possible advantages of registration fees• Legitimacy—employees may feel the program is more valid if they

have to pay to participate.

• Motivation—participants are more inclined to stick with the program if they have to pay out of their own pocket to get involved.

• Budget—including fees with participant registration will increaseflexibility within the campaign budget.

Some possible disadvantages of registration fees• Participation—a barrier is created for employees who want to

participate but don’t have the means to do so.

• Resentment—employees may feel bitter toward the company forbeing charged to improve their own wellness.

• Effort—the added work of collecting, or even hounding employeesfor money can become a big burden to carry.

This list is intended to give you an idea of what issues you might have to facewhen it comes to registration fees—please keep in mind that it is by no meansexhaustive!


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Consenting AdultsAre medical consent forms necessary?As with any health promotion program that is centered on physical activity,you are faced with the inherent risks of injuries and accidents. Though walkingis considered to be a light to moderate activity, potential hazards still remain—the question of obtaining medical consent forms must be raised.

Keep in mind that a participant is especially at risk if he/she:

• Has a family history of heart disease

• Smokes

• Has high blood pressure—equal to or greater than 140/90 mmHg

• Has high cholesterol—a total cholesterol greater than 200 mg/dL

• Is diabetic

• Is obese

• Is sedentary

• Is a male 45 or older, or a female 55 or older

To ensure high-risk participants’ safety and health, requiring doctor’s consentis more than likely necessary. Informing all employees of the risks and gettingmedical clearance for participation is ideal. A sample medical consent form isprovided in the Supplemental Materials section. (Please note that medical con-sent requirements vary from state to state. You may wish to consult a legal con-sultant to ensure the use of the proper form.)


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Now it’s time to get down to the

nitty gritty—in other words

the “meat” of the program.

This execution stage will test

how well you have prepared

and planned. If you’ve taken the necessary

steps, successfully delivering your campaign

will be a breeze.

STEP FOUR: Delivering Your Campaign

“The best job goes to the person who can get it done

without passing the buck or coming back with excuses.”

—NAPOLEON HILL

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Kick it off. Schedule a time and placefor participants to get together. This“rally” should pump up participantsas well as lay the groundwork for thecampaign. Communicate the goal toall participants—10,000 steps a day.Also, be sure to talk about when andwhere participants get their weeklyhandouts. A great way to kick a pro-gram off is to bring in an entertainingand motivating guest speaker. Checkaround to find out who’s the guru inyour area and get them on your cal-endar. You’ll be amazed at how muchenthusiasm they can generate.

Spread the word. Each week you willneed to distribute the handouts pro-vided in the Participant’s Materialssection. These handouts cover issuesspecific to walking, motivationalquestions, and resources for moreinformation. For the first week, wehave provided additional materialthat introduces the importance of thetopic. Without fail, some participantswill lose their information—puttingextra handouts in different areas willminimize this predicament and pre-vent you from constantly running tothe copy machine. The master hand-outs are already enclosed—all youneed to do is make copies and you’regood to go.

Pump ‘em up. Continue to encourageemployees with occasional but rou-tine e-mails or one-on-one meetings.This will give the participant anopportunity to express any concernsthey may have. It can also be motivat-ing for employees to know that you

are in tune with their progress. Also, ifthe desire is expressed, make a list ofparticipants’ contact information—ifthey choose, participants can sched-ule support groups or meeting times.

Get down. Monitoring participantprogress is important throughout thecampaign, not only at the close of theprogram. We’ve designed the partici-pant activity logs to be submittedafter six weeks and at the program’send. These two check-ups will enableyou to identify attrition rates andallow you to award incentives to themost deserving participants.

When it’s time to recognize programvictories, pull out all the stops andorganize a celebration no one willwant to miss. Advertise the fiestathroughout your organization, invitesenior level executives, and get themto present the awards—above all,think big.

The bottom line. If you want the pro-gram to run smoothly and be suc-cessful, it’s important to followthrough every single time. Simply,this means handing out weekly mate-rials to participants and keeping trackof their activity logs. The key is not toget behind. In addition, it’s importantto be creative and motivated. This iswhere your team members can comein handy. Find your cheerleaders andchampions and put them in positionswhere they can encourage others. Use testimonials and build the hypearound the grand incentive cam-paign.


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A Step in the Right Direction?The skinny on pedometersOne helpful component that can make your incentive campaign unique as well assuccessful is the pedometer—a small, electronic device that calculates the stepstaken during a specific span of time. The device is quite user friendly—all youremployees have to do is simply strap the device on their belt and they’re set to go.

If you’re fortunate enough to have a sizeable budget, we encourage you to investin pedometers for your participants. These devices can supplement your cam-paign in numerous ways:

• The power to simplify. Pedometers can simplify things for your participants.The burden of having to keep track of the time or distance walked is elimi-nated since the pedometer is already monitoring the participant’s activity.

• The power to motivate. Using pedometers can also be a motivator for theemployees in your program. Users of the device have claimed that simplyknowing the number of steps they have taken pushes them to go further andmeet their goal.

• The power to compete. Monitoring the steps each participant takes in a daygives you a way to make the campaign competitive. Knowing that a prize isat stake can really get participants moving.

Overall, we strongly feel that pedometers are a worthwhile investment. For moreinformation about these devices, log on to www.pedometers.com.


How to Use Your PedometerYour pedometer automatically records every step you take, so you can actuallysee how your steps accumulate throughout the day. Here’s how to wear thepedometer to get the most accurate reading:

• Wear the pedometer snugly against your body, attached to a belt or thewaistline on your clothing. If your clothing doesn’t have a waistband, youcan attach your pedometer to a piece of elastic tied around your waist.

• Try to have the pedometer line up vertically with the crease on your pantsor the center of your kneecap.

• The pedometer should be parallel to the ground. If it is tilted to one sideor another, it will not give you an accurate recording of your steps.

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Incentive IdeasIncentives can make or break a program—if you offer incentivesemployees like, they’ll most likelycome back for more. However, ifyou’re not in touch with whatemployees want, you run the chanceof losing their interest in the pro-gram. You may want to send out aquestionnaire ahead of time to getan idea of what employees want formotivating incentives. Below is a listof ideas you may want to consider.

• Pedometers

• Gift certificates for local fitness stores

• Walking videos

• Walking shoes

• Motivational books

• Day passes to the local fitness club

• Exercise equipment (e.g., dumbbells, resistancebands, ankle weights, etc.)

• Walking magazinesubscription

• T-shirts

• Water bottles

• Hats/visors

• Sunscreen

• Sunglasses

• Stopwatches

• Lottery tickets

• Gift certificates to a localhealth food store

• A “well” day off

• Gym bags

• Free massages

• Ice/heat packs

• First aid kits

• Group pictures

• Buttons

Check out your local retailers forthese items, or go shopping onlinefor fast and convenient price com-parisons and purchases. You mightwant to visitwww.bodytrends.com/prodpedo.htmto browse a variety of pedometerstyles and prices. You can also checkout www.onlineshoes.com for a wideselection of brands and prices of ath-letic shoes. Or log on to www.walk-ingshop.com for an array of walkingaccessories.

Above all, make sure employees arerewarded for their accomplishmentsin a special ceremony or meeting.The fact that they are being recog-nized in public can be an incentivein itself.


evaluating your efforts5


27

This stage of the program is

important in determining what

works and what doesn’t. If you

plan on implementing other

programs or campaigns in the

future, evaluating your efforts will help you

decipher what elements you should keep and

what elements you should improve. And like

everything else in this campaign, there’s no

need to get nervous—the evaluation process

is nothing to be afraid of.

“The important thing is not to stop questioning.”

—ALBERT EINSTEIN

STEP FIVE: Evaluating Your Efforts

eval

uati

ng y

our e

ffor

ts5


28

Distribute post program campaignsurveys to participants. In order foryou to measure areas of improve-ment, it is necessary to hand out thesame survey that participants weregiven before the program’s start. Thiswill give you a solid point of refer-ence you can use to compare preand post results.

Hand out program evaluationforms. Having completed the pro-gram each participant should haveample feedback. Their commentsabout the campaign can serve as acritical piece in the improvement ofyour wellness initiative.

Complete company evaluation. Nowit’s time to evaluate your perform-ance. By this time you’ll have an ideaof how successful the campaign was.You can use this evaluation to scruti-nize how well you and the companydid as a whole to provide employeeswith the means to get physicallyactive.

Communicate the results. Once youhave collected and analyzed all ofthe evaluation materials it’s impor-tant that you relay the informationto participants and management asneeded. What good is this informa-tion if you keep it hidden and tuckedaway in a file? And don’t be worriedif you think the results are less thanpar, they can always be somethingyou can learn from.

The bottom line. Remember not toconfuse evaluation with research.Research is the process you go

through to prove the worth of a pro-gram. On the other hand, evaluationis the process you use to improveyour program. Consistent attentionto evaluation will yield consistentimprovement to your program—don’t shy away from this critical step.

To help you through the evaluationprocess, we have included a samplepost campaign survey, participantevaluation, and company evalua-tion in the Supplemental Materialssection.


evaluating your efforts5


29

And I quote…

One Union Pacific Railroad (UPRR) employee attributes much of her professional success and overall quality of life to the company’s dedication to wellness:

“If it had not been for UPRR’s health opportunities and programs, I

really don’t think I would have succeeded as well as I have. If you

don’t feel good about yourself, you don’t have the confidence or vitali-

ty to undertake those new tasks and risks that may be needed to

expand and stretch your capabilities. UPRR’s health program has

helped me take and keep about 45 pounds off for 10 years, quit

smoking, develop a new sense of self-confidence, and even encour-

aged me in acquiring my own certification from AFAA (Aerobics and

Fitness Association of America). Now, I am an aerobics instructor!!!”



30

90 days or more in advance❏ Obtain management approval

❏ Set goals and objectives

❏ Select a wellness team

❏ Organize a budget

❏ Set a time and date

60 days in advance❏ Reserve rooms for the kick-off party

❏ Promote the campaign

❏ Determine and order the materialsyou’ll use to promote your program

❏ Designate “hot spots” to post promotional materials

❏ Determine the right time to deliver the message

30 days in advance❏ Post registration forms

❏ Hold a meeting for all team membersto go over the specifics of the cam-paign

❏ Promote kick-off date

15 days in advance❏ Collect registration forms

❏ Distribute pre campaign surveys toparticipants

❏ Create files for participants

❏ Organize participant handouts—make sufficient copies

Campaign Start❏ Hold a kick-off party

❏ Introduce campaign goals and objectives to participants

❏ Communicate the weekly expecta-tions—this includes handouts andactivity logs

❏ Distribute first week’s handouts andactivity logs

Throughout the 12-week campaign

❏ Complete weekly duties

❏ Distribute handouts

❏ Monitor participant progress—mid-point participant evaluation

❏ Keep up with incentives (this may not apply to everyone)

❏ Keep up communication with participants

End of Campaign❏ Hold a celebration dinner or party

❏ Award outstanding individuals formeeting their goals

❏ Distribute post campaign surveys toparticipants

❏ Hand out program evaluations

❏ Complete company evaluations

❏ Hold a meeting with participants andmanagement to communicate results

After the Campaign❏ Follow through with participants to

ensure they are maintaining theirphysical activity

❏ Recruit the most successful partici-pants for future wellness efforts

Checklist and Proposed TimelineImplementing an incentive campaign takes a lot of time, effort, and dedica-tion. Although it would be ideal for everything to run smoothly, this is notalways the case. So to help you keep organized and on track we have encloseda checklist—it should ensure that all the essential steps and key elements arenot overlooked.


31

In Closing…

At first glance, an incentive campaign may seem overwhelming. But when thesteps are broken down, it can really be something you enjoy. The guidelines wehave provided should help you in any health promotion program you employ inthe future. However, the more programs you implement and coordinate the easi-er the entire process will become. You may even find that the more familiar youare with incentive campaigns the more creative and resourceful your effortsbecome—hopefully you will find that the results of a well-executed incentivecampaign outweigh the effort you put into it.

One last thing…implementing a successful incentive campaign is great. But, keepin mind that such programming is only a fraction of the comprehensive work-place wellness initiative your company most likely needs. To help you out withthis effort we have included a summary of the seven critical benchmarks to suc-cessful worksite wellness—this summary can be found in the SupplementalMaterials section.

IN CLOSING...

32

step by step handout masters


33

34

S T E P B Y S T E P

W a l k i n g Y o u r W a y T o W e l l n e s s !

Welcome to:

Step By StepSo you’ve made the decision to get active—congratulations! As an introduction to Stepby Step, some basic components have beenprovided for you. You’ll want to incorporatethese elements into your routine. In addi-tion, you’ll find some compelling facts thatwill reassure you that you’ve made the rightchoice in becoming more physically active.

Throughout this 12-week program, you’llbecome better educated on the reasons forand the benefits of getting active. Every weekyou will receive a different topic of interestrelated to physical activity, along with ques-tions to spark some thought.

To help you keep track of your progress dur-ing the 12 weeks, simply fill out the activitylogs that you have been provided. As anadded bonus of tracking your activity, you’llhave the chance to be awarded great incen-tives. But don’t lose sight of the ultimategoal—getting physically active.

Good luck, and most of all have fun!

Wait!Before you take one step

Before you dive into your walking program,there are a few areas you need to becomefamiliar with.

While walking is a low risk activity, you canstill suffer from injury or overexertion ifyou’re ill prepared or have high health risks.According to the American College of SportsMedicine, you could be at risk if you:

• Have a family history of heart disease

• Smoke

• Have high blood pressure—equal to or greater than 140/90 mmHg

• Have high cholesterol—a total choles-terol greater than 200 mg/dL

• Are diabetic• Are obese

• Are sedentary• Are a male 45 or older, or a female 55

or older

If any of these conditions apply to you, besure to visit a medical professional beforebeginning any form of physical activity.

©2001 Wellness Councils of America

You’re Getting Warm!Simple stretching and warm-up routines

Every workout should begin with a briefwarm-up and a few simple stretches. Walkaround the house or in place for a few min-utes to get your blood flowing before youattempt to stretch—never stretch cold mus-cles, you could risk tearing them. Althoughwalking primarily works the major musclesof the legs, don’t forget to stretch your back,shoulders and arms. Below are a few stretchesto follow before you get in full motion.

Hamstrings: Sit on the floor with yourupper body erect and both legs straight outin front of you. Slowly reach for your toeswith both hands, leaning forward until youfeel a slight discomfort.

Thighs: Stand with your left hand on a wall,for support. Bending your right knee, grabyour right foot with your right hand and pullyour foot up until you feel a slight discom-fort in your thigh or your heel touches yourbuttocks.

Hips: Lie flat on your back with your legsstraight. Raise your right knee toward yourchest. Place both hands below the knee andcontinue to pull your knee to your chest. Formore stretches, check out the NationalInstitutes on Aging’s website atwww.nih.gov/nia/health/pubs/nasa-exercise/.In the table of contents, click on chapterfour, for an extensive list of stretches.

After proper warm-up and stretching you arenow ready for your walk. You may want to

start your walk at a moderate pace beforeyou work your way up to quicker strides.And remember to end your walk with anappropriate cool down—you may want toslow down the pace toward the end of yourwalk and repeat the stretches you did towarm-up.

T h i s W e e k ’ sC h a l l e n g e

In the weeks to come, you’ll seethis box in your handout mate-rials. The information is meantto encourage you to get more

physically active, and ultimatelyreach your goal.

S T E P B Y S T E P


For Your InformationPhysical inactivity is becoming more preva-lent with each generation. As today’sAmericans fail to reach the recommendedlevels of physical activity, they continue topay the consequences with their health andwith their checkbooks.

The good news about being active*

If you are inactive, you can improve yourhealth and well-being by becoming evenmoderately active on a regular basis. Evenmore, physical activity doesn’t have to bestrenuous to achieve health benefits.Source: CDC

• Physical Activity reduces the risk of…

–Dying prematurely

–Dying from heart disease

–Developing diabetes

–Developing high blood pressure andreduces blood pressure in those whoalready have high blood pressure

–Developing colon cancer

–Feeling depressed

• Physical Activity…

–Helps build and maintain healthy

bones, muscles, and joints

–Promotes psychological well-being Source: CDC

*All figures are based on U.S. statistics.

The bad news about physicalinactivity*

More than 300,000 deaths each year areattributed to overweight and physical inactivity. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In 1999, 61% of adults were overweight. Source: CDC

In 1999, 18.9% of Americans were obese(BMI of 30 kg/m2 or greater). Source: Mokdad, A., et. al. Journal of the American MedicalAssociation, 2000.


25% of all adults are not physically active atall, and 60% don’t get the recommendedamount of activity. Source: CDC & A Report of the Surgeon General. Physical Activity andHealth At-A-Glance 1996.

Physical inactivity has been established as amajor risk factor for heart disease:Source: American Heart Association (AHA)

• coronary heart disease…killing 460,000of the 12 million affected each yearSource: AHA & Healthy People 2010

• stroke…killing 158,000 of the 600,000that occur each year Source: Healthy People 2010

• high blood pressure…killing 44,345people and contributing to approxi-mately 210,000 deaths in 1998 Source: AHA

• high blood cholesterol…affects over100 million people Source: AHA

In 1995, the economic cost of obesity wasestimated to be almost $100 billion. Source: CDC

S T E P B Y S T E P : W E E K O N E

Setting Your Goals


Focusing on:

SMART

Time to Step UpWhat to expect

The health benefits of walking have beenproven in numerous studies. In fact, aneight-year study of 13,000 people foundthose who walked 30 minutes a day had a significantly lower risk of premature deaththan those who rarely exercised. The bottom line? It’s doable.

In addition to lowering the risk of premature death, a regular walking program can help:

• Reduce blood cholesterol• Lower blood pressure• Increase cardiovascular endurance• Boost bone strength• Burn calories and keep weight down• Promote psychological well-being

Ultimate Goal

The ultimate goal of this progam is to walk10,000 steps or 30 minutes a day.

If you’ve reached this goal, then you’ve metthe national standard for physical activity.Now, keep going—see what you can do!

Smart Goals

While the benefits of walking are abundant,it’s unrealistic to expect a miraculous changeovernight. Keep this in mind when you setyour goals. And remember, whatever yourgoal may be, make sure it’s SMART:

Specific—know what you have to do daily to reach your goal

Measurable—do you want to lose 10 pounds,or increase muscle strength by 5%?

Achievable—it’s your goal, so you have to beable to achieve it

Realistic—your goal should make you pushyourself, but it should also be attainable

Time frame—have a specific start and enddate


How Do I Get There?Tips to help you reach your goal

OK, so you’ve set your goal. Now what?Well, the key to reaching your objective andstaying on track is easier than you think. Allit takes is a little sweat and a lot of determi-nation. Below are a few guidelines to keepyou walking in the right direction.

1. Start small. Begin by walking short dis-tances—start with a five-minute routineand gradually increase your distance.

2. No need to speed. Walk at a comfort-able pace, focus on good posture, andkeep your head lifted and shouldersrelaxed. As your program progresses you’llfeel more comfortable with increasingyour speed.

3. Strut your stuff. Swing your arms natu-rally, and breathe deeply. If you can’t catchyour breath, slow down or avoid going uphills.

4. Talk the talk. But, be sure you can walkthe walk. If you can’t converse while you’rewalking, you are going too fast.

5. Log in. Start a log to keep track of yourprogress. You may be starting out slow,but you’ll see your improvement overtime—not only physically, but on paper aswell.

For more information and walking tipscheck out the National Institutes ofHealth’s website at www.niddk.nih.gov/health/nutrit/pubs/walking.htm#firststep.

Five Questions

Here are five questions for you to consideras you progress through this campaign.

1. What are three reasons why you wouldlike to become more physically active?

2. What results would you like to see 12 weeks from today?

3. If there was one thing you could do(that you’re not doing right now) that ifyou did it on a regular basis, you know itwould make an impact on your healthand wellness, what would it be?

4. What results would you like to see in 6 weeks?

5. What are some barriers that you mightneed to overcome while pursuing yourgoals?


Recruit a friend or co-worker to join you in your efforts to getmore physically active.

S T E P B Y S T E P : W E E K T W O


The Right ShoesIf the Shoe Fits…Get Sneaker Savvy

Selecting the right pair of walking shoes iscrucial to both the effectiveness and comfortof your workout. Fortunately, getting a goodpair isn’t a difficult task—as long as you’reaware of a few key points.

Before You Go…• Choose an athletic or specialty store with a

large inventory. They will have a variety ofsizes available to meet your specific needs.

• Try to get fitted for footwear at the end ofthe day, when foot size is at its maximum.It is not unusual for an individual’s foot toincrease one-half a shoe size during thecourse of a single day.

• When you try on the shoes be sure to wearthe socks you would wear to work out.

Once You Get There…• If you have high-arches you’ll most likely

require greater shock absorption than thosewith average feet. Conversely, if you havelow-arched, “flat” feet you’ll probably wantshoes with less cushioning but greater support and heel control.

• Allow 1/2 inch, or the width of your indexfinger, between the end of your longest toe and the end of the shoe. If one foot islarger than the other, buy the larger size.

• The shoe should be as wide across the forefoot without allowing slippage in theheel. If the shoe has variable-width lacing,experiment with the narrow and wide eyelets to achieve a custom fit.

• A good walking shoe should be mostlyleather, to absorb shock, while runningshoes are mostly made of lightweight,nylon fabric. If you’re walking in runningshoes you “run” the risk of getting painfulshin splints.

Focusing on:


Walk it Off

One of the many benefits of walking is itssimplicity—you can literally just get up andgo. However, to maximize your walking andminimize injuries you’ll need the rightshoes—just keep in mind that there is noperfect shoe for everyone. Everyone’s feet aredifferent and require specific features, howev-er, the right pair of shoes for every walkershould have:

• good arch support• appropriate tread• sufficient durability• flexibility• cushioning

Above all your shoes should be comfortable!

Wear it out

It is important to be aware of when yourshoes need to be replaced because, if they areno longer absorbing the pounding and jar-ring action of the sport, you are more likelyto sustain knee and ankle injuries. Shoes nor-mally need to be replaced every three to sixmonths. However, if your budget doesn’tallow new shoes that often, try replacingyour insoles—they can provide additionalsupport for a fraction of the cost.

Five Questions

Here are five questions for you to consider asyou progress through this campaign.

1. Are there others pressuring you to becomemore physically active? If so, who?

2. In what ways would being more physicallyactive benefit your family?

3. What personal, health, or social problemshave poor physical condition caused for you?

4. List the past three previous attempts youhave made to become more physically active.Why have they failed?

5. What sacrifices have you made to fit regu-lar physical activity into your schedule?


Sign up for anorganized walk/run.

Examples include Walkfor Life, MS Walk, and

Corporate Cup.

The foot might seem simple enough, but it

has 26 separate bones, 30 different muscles,

56 tendons, 250,000 sweat glands, and 33

joints.—Too Busy to Exercise, by Porter Shimer

S T E P B Y S T E P : W E E K T H R E E


Treating Your Body RightWalk This Way4 Do’s and don’ts

It might sound crazy, but you could be walk-ing the wrong way. In fact, improper tech-nique can cause strain on your body andeven result in injury.

Don’t: Over stride—when you try towalk fast, a natural inclination is tolengthen your stride in the front,reaching out further with your for-ward foot. This increases the risk ofstraining your leg muscles.

Do: Take shorter, quicker steps. If youwant to move quickly, taking shorter,quicker strides is the way to go.

Don’t: Be a stiff arm—straight,motionless arms act like a long pendu-lum, slowing you down. Lack of armmovement can also throw off your bal-ance as you walk.

Do: Bend your arms at 90 degreesand swing them naturally back andforth, opposite the leg motion—youcan add power and speed by usingyour arms effectively.

Don’t: Put your head down—walkingwith your head down could cause back,neck, and shoulder strain.

Do: Look up! Good posture for walk-ing allows you to breathe well. Yourchin should be parallel to the ground,and your eyes should focus on thestreet or track 10 to 20 feet ahead.

Don’t: Lean your body—leaning yourbody forward or backward doesn’t con-tribute to speed or good technique. Infact, leaning can result in back pain.

Do: Stand up straight but with relaxedshoulders, chin parallel to the ground.Your back should have a naturalcurve—if you feel a strain in yourlower back, you’re probably not at arelaxed position.

1

2

3

4

Focusing on:


Do Your Body Good3 Do’s and don’ts

Don’t: Use heat to treat an injury—heat increases blood flow to the areaand results in more swelling.

Do: Treat you injuries with ice—itnumbs the affected area and preventspain and swelling.

Don’t: Continue your walking if youfeel any pain—by neglecting your painyou risk worsening the injury.

Do: Use ice or take pain relievers toalleviate the pain. For more seriousinjuries call or visit your health careprofessional.

Don’t: Use your injury as an excuse toquit being physically active.

Do: Continue some form of physicalactivity that does not put your currentinjury at risk. If you have hurt yourankle, try some upper body strengthtraining exercises. Return to your nor-mal routine once your doctor gives youthe OK.

Five Questions


1. Who and/or what makes your workoutmore enjoyable?

2. What physical changes, if any, have younoticed since starting?

3. Do you have moral support from family,friends, and co-workers?

4. What’s your favorite aspect of exercise(e.g., burning calories, relieving stress,health benefits, etc)? What can you do tomaximize this?

5. Do you remember the three reasons youchose to become more physically active?Write them down, and keep them withyou!


Pick up the pace.Everywhere you go,

walk faster than you normally would.

1

2

3

There are 300 different foot ailments, none of

which should be neglected.—The American Podiatric Medical Association

“Don’t let people drive you crazy when you

know it’s in walking distance.”—Anonymous

S T E P B Y S T E P : W E E K F O U R


Pulse & Target Heart Rate

Get Pumped

Your pulse is the number of times your heartbeats in one minute—also known as yourheart rate. Knowing how to take your pulsecan help you evaluate your fitness level. Forchildren ages 6 to 15, a normal resting heartrate is 70 to 100 beats per minute. For adults18 and older, a normal resting pulse is 60 to 100 beats per minute—if you exceed 100 beats per minute, don’t panic, but do see a doctor.

How to take your pulse

1. Place the tips of your index, and middlefingers on the palm side of your otherwrist, below the base of the thumb. Or,place the tips of your index and middlefingers on the side of your neck, under-neath your jawbone.

2. Press lightly with your fingers until youfeel the blood pulsing—you may need tomove your fingers around slightly untilyou feel the pulsing.

3. Look at a watch or clock with a secondhand.

4. Count the beats you feel for 10 seconds.Multiply this number by six to get yourheart rate per minute.

“It doesn’t matter where you are coming

from. All that matters is where you are

going.”—Brian Tracy

Focusing on:


Maxed OutFinding your maximum heart rate

Your maximum heart rate is the highest yourpulse rate can get. To calculate your predict-ed maximum heart rate, use the followingformula:

Subtract your age from 220, this is your pre-dicted maximum heart rate. For example, a40-year-old’s predicted maximum heart rateis 180.

Your actual maximum heart rate can bedetermined by a graded exercise test.

Please note that some medications and med-ical conditions may affect your maximumheart rate. If you are taking medications orhave a medical condition (such as heart dis-ease, high blood pressure or diabetes), alwaysask your health care provider if your maxi-mum heart rate (and target heart rate)should be adjusted.

Bull’s EyeHitting the Target

You gain the most benefits and lessen therisks when you exercise in your target heartrate zone. Usually, this is when your pulse is50 to 75% of your maximum heart rate. Forexample, a 40-year-old’s target heart rate canrange from 90 to 135.

To find out if you are exercising in your tar-get zone, stop exercising and check yourpulse. If your pulse is below your target zone,increase the intensity of exercise. If yourpulse is above your target zone, decrease theintensity.

When beginning an exercise program, youmay need to gradually build up to a level

Five Questions


1. If you had one wish relating to improvingyour health and fitness, what would it be?

2. What’s the best way you can track yourprogress?

3. To date, what’s the biggest fitness successyou have experienced?

4. Are others happy with the changes you aremaking?

5. What emotion best describes how you feelabout yourself when you make a consciousdecision not to exercise?


Take a 10-minute walk inthe parking lot or throughthe halls of your buildingduring your coffee break.If you’re really looking fora challenge, climb stairs

for 10 minutes.

that is within your target heart rate zone,especially if you have not exercised regularlybefore.

For more information on your heart rate visitthe American Heart Association’s website atwww.americanheart.org.

S T E P B Y S T E P : W E E K F I V E


Facing The ElementsNothing Can Stop You NowWalking year-round

While it’s probably not a good idea to getyour walking shoes on when it’s 50 belowzero, or hotter than Hades, you don’t wantthe weather conditions to put you out ofcommission. Always remember the safetyprecautions you need to take before steppingout into less than optimal weather.

Desert WalkingBe shady. Avoid direct sun and blacktop.Natural surface paths under the trees are thecooler places to walk.

Water, water, water. Drink 10 to 16ounces of water 15 minutes before you startyour walk. It’s also a good idea to carry awater bottle while you walk, so you can keephydrated. Remember, even if you’re notthirsty, you should still keep chugging theH20—you don’t have to be thirsty for yourbody to need liquids.

Make your own shade. Wear a hat with avisor or a desert-cap with flaps to shade yourneck. Wear sunscreen to prevent sunburn.Wear sunglasses that filter UVA and UVB

rays to protect your eyes, and wear light colored clothing.

Be an early bird or a night owl. Generally,the hottest times of the day are between 10 am to 4 pm. You can avoid extreme heatby walking either early or later in the day.

Focusing on:


Tundra treks1. Check the forecast. Air temperature and

wind chill factor should always be checkedprior to exercising in the cold. A dangerdoes exist for those who exercise outdoorswhen the windchill factor (combinedeffect of temperature and wind) exceeds–20° F.

2. Dress in layers. By wearing multiple lay-ers, you can change the amount of insula-tion that is needed. Wear clothing thatallows sweat to pass through, but alsotraps in air—this helps you maintain theright body temperature. However, avoidheavy cotton sweats or tightly wovenmaterial when exercising outside becausethese fabrics will absorb and maintainwater, which promotes heat loss.

3. Drink water. Dehydration can still occurin cold weather. Although it may not befeasible to carry a water bottle, you canstill stay properly hydrated by drinkingsufficient water before and after yourwalk.

4. Focus on the head, hands, and feet.As reported by the American Council onExercise (ACE), a study showed that heatloss from the head alone was about 50%at freezing temperatures and by simplywearing a hat subjects were able to stayoutside indefinitely. In addition to thehead, also pay attention to hands andfeet—wear insulated gloves and socks toprevent frostbite.

Five Questions


1. Who is your role model when it comes tophysical fitness? Why?

2. What part of the day do you feel thebiggest desire to get up and exercise? Areyou able to exercise when you have thisurge?

3. On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being low and 10being high) how would you rate yourcommitment to physical fitness?

4. Do you have to make a conscious effort toexercise, or is it now just a normal part ofyour day?

5. Have you raised your expectations of whatlevel of physical fitness you want toachieve?


If the conditions are tooextreme to handle, bring yourroutine inside. Try using a tread-mill, an indoor track, or even ashopping mall. If these optionsare not available to you, beresourceful—grab a jump ropeor use an exercise video to getin your physical activity. Thischange of pace can bring insome variety and keep thingsinteresting.

Think acrylic when thinking socks: They stay

drier, fit better, and dry faster than cotton.—Too Busy to Exercise, Porter Shimer

S T E P B Y S T E P : W E E K S I X


Squeezing ExerciseInto Your Schedule

Clockin’ InMaking the time for exercise

Busy, busy, busy. Everyone is fighting thetime crunch these days, and in the rush to fitin the rest of our lives, our workouts oftenget the short shift. Don’t let your exerciseroutine fall to the bottom of your prioritylist—making time for exercise is not as diffi-cult as it seems. When you break down yourday you will be surprised at how much physical activity you can fit in—even if itjust means 10 or 15 minutes at a time.

Tricks of the Trade

1. Put it on paper. When you have a den-tist appointment, you write it in yourplanner. It’s the same with business meet-ings. Why not schedule a time for yourworkout? Put it in your planner and stickto that time slot.

2. Look for small blocks of time. Youdon’t need 60 or 90 minutes to get a goodworkout. A simple fitness routine can takeas little as 15 minutes. Search your dailyroutine for small periods of downtime,and then make them count.

3. Early bird workouts. Set the alarm onehour earlier and go for a walk. It may takea while to become accustomed to the newschedule, but you may discover that earlymorning workouts compliment yourschedule the best.

4. Walk ‘round the block. Sometimes thebest time to exercise is at home after work.Taking a walk around the neighborhood is convenient and inexpensive, when compared to the time and money put intoa gym membership.

Focusing on:


Workin’ it at Work

1. Lunch ‘n burn. Instead of using yourentire lunch hour to eat, try splitting thetime you have to squeeze in a quick walk.Not only do you get the added benefits ofexercise, you may also be more energizedfor the afternoon ahead.

2. Take the scenic route. Whether it’s tothe restroom, water cooler, or copymachine, take the longest way possible toget there—even if it means going toanother floor.

3. Walk it out. Rather than holding a sit-down meeting or brainstorming session,try having it over a walk. You may findthat being on your feet can stimulate goodideas.

4. Every bit counts. Climb the stairs to thatmeeting instead of taking the elevator,park your car farther than you normallywould and walk the extra distance, orwalk down the hall to talk to colleaguesinstead of calling them on the phone. It alladds up.

Five Questions


1. What are the motivational factors influ-encing you to increase your amount ofphysical activity?

2. What eateries are nearby that you couldwalk to for lunch instead of drive?

3. What social forces (people, places, andpolicies) help you to increase your amountof physical activity?

4. What materials and/or resources (e.g., fit-ness articles, gym membership, friends,etc.) would best help you reach your goal?

5. Is your work and home environment ahindrance to becoming and staying physi-cally active? What steps could be taken toimprove this?


Never pass up an opportunity to walk.

This may involve alwayskeeping your walking shoes

with you, so when theopportunity arises…

walk it.

Walking a mile a day (in addition to your

usual activity) could result in a fat loss of

approximately one pound per month.—Too Busy to Exercise, Porter Shimer

S T E P B Y S T E P : W E E K S E V E N


Maximizing Your WorkoutStep it UpGet the most out of your workout

Walking is one fitness activity that gives younumerous options to diversify your workout.A good time to mix things up is when youcan walk your routine with relative ease—atthis point you should consider making itmore of a challenge. Try walking for longerperiods of time, more times during the week.Even a change of terrain can make your walkmore demanding. Above all, don’t let yourroutine become a drag—be sure to stepthings up when the time comes.

Frequency, Intensity,Duration…Oh My!• Pick up the pace. To boost your intensity,

try increasing your speed. Walking fasterrequires more of an effort and can certainlystep things up—not to mention burn someextra calories.

• Go for the long haul. Increase the durationof your workouts by walking a little longereach time. This doesn’t have to be a drasticchange, rather, shoot to lengthen each walkby five minutes.

• Longer doesn’t always equal better. Trymore frequent, but shorter workouts.

A study has shown that shorter, more frequent workouts are just as effective asone long session of exercise.

• Focus on frequency. As you become moreaccustomed to your walking routine, tryincreasing the number of times you walkeach week—this will get you out of yourcomfort zone. The more you push yourself,the greater the rewards will be.

A quality treadmill can give an exceptionally

good walking workout (and even more con-

venience) by ensuring a steady pace.

—Too Busy to Exercise, Porter Shimer

Focusing on:


Tough Enough

• Change terrain. Trekking tougher terraincan make you work a little harder. You canstep up your routine by venturing off thepavement onto grassy hills, nature trails, orsandy ground such as beaches.

• Run for the hills. To make your walkingroutine more of a challenge, try picking aroute that includes numerous hills. Theextra resistance can help strengthen yourleg muscles and build endurance.

• Aim for the finish line. Try signing upfor a walking marathon or a walking eventthat is timed. This type of competition canserve as a great motivator and help youkeep on track when you need to pump upyour workout.

Five Questions


1. Are your current reasons for being physi-cally active the same as when you beganthis program?

2. What results have you observed in thesepast 6 weeks?

3. What barriers have you overcome in yourefforts to reach your goal?

4. What barriers do you feel exist right now?

5. Are you prepared to keep up with yourexercise program even if you don’t reachyour goal?


Start counting calories—calories you consume and

expend. Combining a healthydiet with physical activity isa great way to round out ahealthy lifestyle. Log on tohealth.excite.com/cal_calc

for an easy to use calorie counter.

Walking in sand, loose soil, or deep grass can

increase calorie burning by as much as 30%.

In addition, walking up hills can increase

calorie burning by as much as 45%.


S T E P B Y S T E P : W E E K E I G H T


Utilizing All Of Your MusclesWork It!A muscle workout while you walk

You don’t have to lift weights to tone yourmuscles. In fact, there are simple exercisesyou can use while walking that can do won-ders.

Define your muscles with the tips below—toavoid any strains or discomfort, only per-form one of the exercises at a time while youwalk. Hold each exercise for 15 seconds,release, and repeat until the end of yourwalk. After you feel more comfortable doingeach, you may want to perform the exercisestogether.

• Tighten your tush. While you walk,try to squeeze your buttocks together—squeezing your gluts strengthens yourlower back and sculpts your backside.

• Squeeze your abs. Pull your abs inand up, as if you’re zipping up tightjeans. This provides a wall of muscularsupport for your lower back and auto-matically improves your posture.

• Walk on water. OK, maybe not onwater, but in water. If you have accessto a pool or any body of water try walk-ing in waist-high water. This providesresistance for both upper and lowerbody muscles.

Pumping IronCompleting your fitness routine

While walking is a great cardiovascular andlower body workout, don’t forget that yourupper body needs attention as well. An excel-lent way to get all your muscle groups fit isthrough strength training. This type of train-ing can improve your:

• Strength• Muscle tone/size• Muscular endurance/coordination• Cardiovascular fitness• Flexibility

In addition to a walking routine, strengthtraining can be added for a more compre-hensive workout. In fact, this is recommend-ed by major health organizations like the

(continued on back)

Focusing on:


American Heart Association, the Centers forDisease Control and Prevention, and theAmerican College of Sports Medicine.According to The Physician andSportsmedicine, studies show that a strengthtraining routine, as part of a complete exer-cise program, may decrease the risk of serioushealth conditions, including coronary heartdisease, type II (adult onset) diabetes, andselect types of cancer.

So, How Do I Get Started?As in most cases involving the start of a newactivity, consult a primary care physician toassess any possible health risks you may have.Once you do have the “OK” to begin astrength training program, don’t just diveinto a routine. Make sure you are properlyinformed on the correct techniques, the rightweight to use, what exercises work whatmuscles, etc. You may want to consult a cer-tified personal trainer to help you get started.

If you don’t have the means to hire a person-al trainer or join the local gym, keep in mindthat there are cheaper resources to utilize foran effective strength training program. Forexample, simply investing in a pair ofweights and a legitimate weight trainingvideo can produce the same benefits as agym workout—without straining yourpocketbook.

Ultimately, supplementing your walking rou-tine with a strength training program is anexcellent way to optimize your fitness leveland overall health.

Additional Resources:Website: exercise.about.com/library/weekly/aa011501a.htm

Book: Weight Training for Dummies

Five Questions


1. Do you notice benefits from your changedbehavior?

2. Do you exercise to combat stress, or even abad day?

3. Is exercise a time for you to go throughthe thoughts/feelings of the day, or is it atime when you can just “space off”?

4. Does having others exercise with you helpyou stay on track, or do you prefer toexercise alone?

5. Have others made comments to you aboutany positive behavior or physical changessince you have started the program?


Build onto your program.Add an extra day of walking to keep your routine a challenge.

Walking within 30 minutes after eating can

boost calorie burning by as much as 30%.—Too Busy to Exercise, by Porter Shimer

(continued from front)

S T E P B Y S T E P : W E E K N I N E


Safety While WalkingSafety Smarts

It’s unfortunate, but like any other type ofphysical activity, walking can result ininjuries and accidents. However, many ofthese mishaps can be avoided if you properlyplan and follow a few guidelines.

1. Walk in numbers.

2. Wear colors that are bright and reflect in the night.

3. Walk in lighted areas.

4. Carry a whistle or cell phone to use ifyou need help.

5. Tell someone when you’re going for awalk and when they should expect youback.

6. If you’re walking alone, select a route that is highly visible to other people—ifothers can see you, you’ll increase yoursafety.

7. Walk so that oncoming traffic is facingyou.

8. Use crosswalks when crossing streets andobey traffic signals.

9. Bring your dog with you.

10. If you wear a Walkman try to keep thevolume to a minimum so you are stillaware of your surroundings.

Dodging DogsTips on avoiding dog attacks

1. Maintain a safe distance between yourselfand the dog—even if it is being walked ona leash.

2. Don’t always assume it is all right toapproach a dog—always ask permissionfrom the owner before doing so.

3. Never approach a dog that is barking,snarling, sleeping, eating, or nursing.

4. Avoid staring a dog in the eyes.5. Keep an object between you and the dog,

such as a tree, post, or bench.6. Speak softly to a dog to calm it—“Good

dog, it’s OK, go home.”7. Contact local police to report unleashed,

aggressive dogs.8. Use pepper spray when charged by a

dog—be sure your local law allows this.

Focusing on:


Slow and Steady Wins the Race

If there is one mistake you want to avoidwhen exercising it is this: Over doing it.

Plain and simple, if you push your bodyharder than it’s ready to be pushed, you’llmost likely injure yourself. Whether it’s mus-cle soreness, sprains, or strains, it could beenough to temporarily set you back or evenworse, sideline you for good—somethingyou definitely don’t want to happen!

Just remember, everyone is different—afriend or co-worker might notice positiveresults of physical activity right away, but thisdoesn’t necessarily mean that you will. Don’tget discouraged. It might take longer thanyou like, but if you stay on track withoutover doing it, you’re going to reap benefits.

Five Questions


1. Does exercising outdoors intimidate you?Why?

2. Do you inform family members or friendswhen and where you are exercising?

3. Is there someone you could invite to joinyou when you exercise outdoors at night?

4. Do you have a plan in place in case anaccident or injury occurs?

5. In your opinion, what are the three mostlikely accidents that could occur whileexercising outdoors and by yourself? Whatwould be three remedies that could pre-vent these accidents?


Mix it up. Select a widerange of routes that incor-porate various challenges.

For example, a trailthrough the park can be anice change from a walk in

the neighborhood. Anddon’t forget the added

bonus of changing scenery.

Be sure you put your feet in the right place,

then stand firm.–Abraham Lincoln

S T E P B Y S T E P : W E E K T E N


MotivationSticking with ItHow to stay motivated

Congratulations, you have come a long waysince the beginning of the program, now all that is really left is sticking with it.Incorporating walking and physical activityinto your life is crucial. But, as you probablyalready know finding the time and motiva-tion can prove to be a bit of a challenge.However, considering how far you’ve come,it would be a waste to just leave it all behindnow. So, take note of the list of motivatorsbelow.

• Find a buddy—looking for extra motivation? Sometimes, teaming up with alike-minded partner can be just the thing.

• Keep up with a log—seeing your accomplishments on paper can be a greatmotivator.

• Mix things up—change the places whereyou walk to keep things interesting.

• Remember your mother—MotherNature, that is. Pick up aluminum cans,wrappers, or bottles as you walk—knowingthat you’re helping keep the environmentclean can be a great motivator.

• Reward yourself—it can be a nice din-ner, a new pair of shoes, or a new outfit—whatever it may be, an incentive can be agreat motivator.

• Use your imagination—visualize your-self being in shape and how it feels. Ratherthan focusing on feeling out of shape, pic-ture yourself feeling energized after yourworkout.

Walking is the fastest growing fitness activity

in America today. In fact, walkers currently

outnumber runners five to one.

—Too Busy to Exercise, by Porter Shimer

Focusing on:


Tips to Stay in the Mix

• Make it a habit. Turn your exercise rou-tine into a habit—of course this won’t hap-pen overnight. But keep in mind, the moreconsistent you are from the start the moreyour workout will be fixed into your dailyroutine.

• Pencil it in. Already having a specific timeset aside for your walk can help you keepup with your routine. Exercising when you“find the time” usually doesn’t work andjust leaves room for excuses. The key here isnot to get sidetracked—stick with the timeyou’ve allotted for working out.

• Don’t get diverted. Communicate yourexercise time to others and don’t let thempersuade you to put off your workout. Askthem to respect your decision—better yet,ask them to join you.

• Be prepared. When you plan to exercisebe sure to have everything you need aheadof time. For example, if you normally exer-cise after work make sure to bring yourworkout clothes so you can change beforeyou leave your place of employment. Notbeing properly prepared just leaves roomfor more excuses not to exercise.

Five Questions


1. Have you shared your commitment withfriends, family, and co-workers?

2. What exercise routines do your peers fol-low? Are they successful in their efforts?

3. Is there anyone you can encourage tobecome physically active? Would he/shelike to exercise with you?

4. Do you see yourself exercising a year fromnow? Five years from now? Why or whynot?

5. Do you share your struggles and triumphswith friends and family?


Head for the hills. If you’regetting comfortable withregular walking, find somehilly areas to tour on foot.Walking up inclined areas

will burn more calories andraise your heart rate.

S T E P B Y S T E P : W E E K E L E V E N


Group WalkingGood for You, Good for ThemOne of the greatest features of walking is thatit’s a perfect activity for large numbers ofpeople to participate in together. Plus, con-trary to so many mass-participation activities,walking involves very little individual athleticeffort.

Because of this convenience, numerous asso-ciations and organizations, both local andnational, have used walking as a centralactivity to get the public involved in theircampaigns. Find out if any of these walk-a-thons are coming to your community, andtell your wellness coordinator that you’reinterested in participating. Not only is itgood exercise, but it’s also a great way to sup-port a variety of important efforts and associ-ations.

One example of these events is the annual“Race for the Cure,” put on by the KomenFoundation to raise the public’s awareness of breast cancer. This fitness run/walk is held in more than 100 U.S. cities andattracts over a million people every year. You can find out more about this event at www.raceforthecure.com.

An Appetitefor Exercise

If you’re hungry formore walking pro-grams, you mightwant to considergetting in touchwith your localYMCA—they offera variety of fitnesscourses, includingwalking. Not onlycan this satisfy your need for more physicalactivity, but it can also provide the opportuni-ty to meet new people, who share the sameinterest in physical activity as you do.

You can find out what YMCA is nearest to you by logging on to www.ymca.net/ find_your_y/findy.htm. Or you can call them at 1-888-333-9622.

Walking can help the body with its sizablechore of producing new bone tissue—theequivalent of a whole new skeleton everyseven years.


Focusing on:


Make it a Group Thing

Walking solo is always an option, but some-times working out in a group can add somefun. Try the following suggestions to includeothers in your walking routine.

• Walk with your dog—your pet can begreat company while you workout.

• Walk with family—walking is a greatactivity that can involve all familymembers.

• Walk with friends—a lot of people havetennis buddies, so why not have a walk-ing buddy? Instead of scheduling week-end tennis matches, you can set asidetime for a walk around the neighbor-hood or park.

• Walk with co-workers—if you walkduring your lunch hour, coffee break,etc., ask a co-worker to come with you.You may even find that a walk con-tributes to a great brainstorming ses-sion.

Five Questions


1. What’s the longest amount of time youhave stuck with one exercise program?What did you like about that particularprogram? What caused you to abandon it?

2. Would you like to modify any otherlifestyle behaviors in the near future? Whatwould they be?

3. Have you made any new friends oracquaintances as a result of becomingmore physically active?

4. Do you have an improved vision of yourself-esteem and self-image?

5. Have you been able to let go of negativebehaviors and move forward withoutthem?


Bike your routine. If youown a bicycle, try biking

your normal walking route,and then some.

“The road is always shorter when two people

walk it.”—Anon

S T E P B Y S T E P : W E E K T W E L V E


Maintaining Your ProgramMaintaining Your ProgramCongratulations, you’ve made it to the endof the program! But before you box up yourwalking shoes, think about this: To maintainthe health benefits you’ve gained you mustkeep up with your exercise routine. Here aresome pointers to consider when continuingphysical activity.

Upgrade Your Workout • Step it up. Whether or not you have

reached your initial goals, at this point youshould evaluate your progress. If you havemet your goals it’s time for a new chal-lenge—this may involve walking a greaterdistance or being active for a longer time. Ifyou haven’t met your goals don’t let thisdiscourage you. You should meet thesegoals before you look to bigger hurdles.

• Have fun. One of the most important elements to an exercise routine is the “funfactor.” If your workout involves somethingyou enjoy, the more likely you’ll stick with it.

• Add variety. Introduce variety into yourexercise routine—a membership to a gymor buying videotapes can supplement yourcurrent exercise program. A monotonousprogram can get old quick.

Walking Tid-bits

• The energy costs of walking can beincreased by 78% by walking backward(recommended for open spaces only).

• Walking in high heels can subject the ballof the foot to as many as 2,000 pounds ofpressure with every step.

• Contrary to popular belief, walking bare-foot does not flatten the feet, it simplythickens the skin on the bottoms of thefeet.

Too Busy to Exercise, Porter Shimer

Focusing on:


Progress Personally

• Keep in touch. Follow-up evaluations areimportant to maintaining your exerciseroutine. Set up meetings on a regular basisto touch base with your program coordina-tor. You can share your accomplishmentsand receive encouragement that could behelpful for sticking with it.

• Recognize accomplishments. Althoughyou won’t have the constant incentivesfrom your program coordinator, you canalways reward yourself. Also, don’t forget togive yourself the recognition you deservewhen you’ve accomplished your goals—goahead and brag to your family and friends.

• Attitude is everything. If you think neg-atively about yourself or your routine,you’re likely to go nowhere fast. Keeping apositive outlook can help you overcomeobstacles and ultimately achieve your goal.

• Become a role model. Encourage othersto join you in your efforts to lead a healthylifestyle. People are more likely to start aprogram that has documented success.Sharing your achievements may be themotivation they need to get started.

Five Questions


1. Did you meet your 12-week goal for theprogram?

2. Are you going to keep up with your exer-cise program even though the program iscomplete? Why or why not?

3. What can you do to ensure continuedprogress with your level of physical fitness?

4. Do you have a plan in place in case of arelapse into sedentary behavior?

5. How do you reward yourself when youmeet your goals?


Take the family. After dinner, or sometime duringthe weekend, go for a walkwith your family—or even

one family member. You’ll enjoy the company,and it’s a great activity

for all ages.

supplemental m

aterialsS T E P B Y S T E P I N C E N T I V E C A M P A I G N

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Supplemental Materials

Dear ___________________,

I am writing this letter to inform you of the new incentive campaign I’m plan-

ning to implement within the next ________ months. Specifically, Step by

Step is a 12-week walking program that encourages participants to reach the

goal of 10,000 steps a day—approximately five miles.

I strongly believe that both our employees and the organization as a whole

will benefit from Step by Step. As you probably already know, 60% of

American adults don’t get the recommended amount of physical activity and

25% are not active at all. No doubt, our workforce is certainly not exempt

from these eye-opening facts.

Due to the simplicity and attractiveness of walking, I expect _____% of our

total employee population to participate. Since the advantages of regular

physical activity include a reduced risk of developing heart disease, diabetes,

high blood pressure, and depression, I am confident that this campaign will

help our employees realize the benefits of reduced health risks and position

the company to experience lower medical costs.

I would very much appreciate your attention concerning this matter.

Specifically, your support in the form of e-mails, vocal addresses to employ-

ees, or personal appearances at program meetings would be ideal. Ultimately,

it would be wonderful to see you participate in this exciting program.

I know our employees will have a positive response to this program if it is

reinforced by your support.

Sincerely,

Letter to the CEO

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Don’t Walk Away Step up to the challenge: get moving with Step by Step

Sixty percent of today’s Americans do not get the recommended amount of physical activity, while 25% aren’t active at all. Doyou know where you fit in?

With this Step by Step incentive campaign, you can make physical inactivity a thing of the past. This 12-week program has beendesigned to get you more physically active—in fact, our goal is for you to walk 10,000 steps a day by the end of the cam-paign! This may sound like a lot, but keep in mind that you are probably already walking between 3,000 to 5,000 steps eachday.

We know this goal may seem steep and that’s why we’ve included some great incentives and prizes to keep you moving. Inaddition, you’ll receive supplemental handouts informing you of what you need to know as you take on this challenge.

Overall, deciding to become more active is a great move—Step by Step just makes it that much easier to incorporate physicalactivity into your life. This program begins_______________and ends_____________. The deadline for registrationis____________. So sign up today!

Name: Phone: E-mail:

___________________________ ________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ________________ ____________________________

___________________________ ________________ ____________________________

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Supplemental Materials69

Participant Pre PostName Department E-mail Survey Survey Evaluation

Participant Roster

64


Supplemental Materials 70

6-Week Walking Log

Keep Track – For the next six weeks, keep track of your daily steps, time, or distance on thewalking log. At the end of the program, return your walking log to the program coordinator.

Remember – The goal of this program is to increase your physical activity, so don’t compareyour daily activity to someone else’s. Your goal is to take more steps per day by the end of theprogram than you did at the beginning.

In each box,record thenumber ofsteps, time, or distancewalked eachday.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

TOTALS

Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Week 6

GoalsWhether your goal is to walk 30 minutes a day, or to lose five pounds by the end of this walkingcampaign, your goal is more tangible if it’s written down. By writing your goals on the linesbelow you’ll have a constant reminder and a little extra push to achieve what you set out to doin the beginning.

Daily Goal: ________________________________________

6-Week Goal: ______________________________________

Overall Goal: _______________________________________

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Supplemental Materials71

Step by StepPre/Post Participant Campaign Survey

Agree Maybe DisagreeYes No

1. I know what my target heart rate 5 4 3 2 1should be while exercising.

2. I have the knowledge to safely 5 4 3 2 1start a walking program.

3. I know the importance of 5 4 3 2 1warming up before I begin to walk.

4. I am aware that any movement- 5 4 3 2 1oriented activity, done even in moderation, is beneficial.

5. I understand why I need to exercise. 5 4 3 2 1

6. I know the proper way to stretch. 5 4 3 2 1

7. I know the proper way to use 5 4 3 2 1a pedometer.

8. I know the proper type of shoes to 5 4 3 2 1wear when walking.

9. I know what steps I should take to 5 4 3 2 1safely exercise outdoors, in the heat and in the cold.

10. I can confidently name five 5 4 3 2 1benefits of walking.

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Supplemental Materials 72

Step by StepParticipant Evaluation

1. Did you achieve your personal objective to increase your daily steps?___Yes ___About the same # of steps ___No

2. If yes to Question 1, estimate how many daily steps on average you increased from your original baseline measurement. ___________________

3. Did the pedometer help motivate you to increase your # of daily steps? ___Yes ___N/A ___No

4. Did you consistently wear your pedometer?___Yes ___N/A ___No

5. Did you find the weekly handouts helpful? ___Yes ___Didn’t read ___No

6. In what ways did you increase the # of daily steps? Check all that apply.___Took the stairs more often___Parked the car further away in the parking lot___Took more frequent walks – on break and/or at home ___Other, please explain:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. Would you participate in an organized walking group? ___Yes ___No

8. Is there any way that we can improve our program in order for it to be of more help to you?_______________________________________________

9. Please list any physiological improvements (such as weight loss, lower blood pressure) thatyou believe are a result of this program. _____________________________

10. Would you be interested in continuing the program? ___Yes ___No

11. What did you like about the program?

12. What did you dislike about the program?

Please return to _____________________________ by _________________________.

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Step by StepCompany Evaluation

Company results of the Step by Step campaign:

1. Total number of employees _________

2. Total number of participants _________

3. Percentage of employees that participated _________

4. Total number that completed the program _________

5. Percentage of participants that completed the program _________

6. Describe any company-sponsored activities, material adaptations, or special events that were done in conjunction with the Step by Step campaign.

7. What was the best feature of the Step by Step campaign?

8. What was the worst aspect of the Step by Step campaign?

9. Did you use any of the incentive prize ideas/resources provided?Yes____ No____ If no, why not?

Please describe any topics or ideas you would like to see in future campaigns.

Thank you for your input! Please make a copy for your files and return to the Wellness Councils of America, 9802 Nicholas St., Suite 315, Omaha, NE 68114

or FAX to 402-827-3594.

68

WHO? All __________________employees.

WHAT? Step by Step—a walking incentivecampaign.

WHEN? ______________________________

WHERE? The program kicks off at______________________________

WHY? You can personalize this section.HOW? Making adjustments in one’s

lifestyle to include more physicalactivity can be just as effective as atraditional or structured exerciseprogram. Getting in 10,000 stepsover the course of a day (about 5miles) can help individuals improvetheir physical health. Most peopletake between 3,000 and 5,000 steps,but getting to 10,000 might not be asdifficult as you think. You can takethe stairs instead of the elevator,take a walk during your breaks, use arestroom on a different floor, parkyour car farther away from your des-tination, or take your dog for anextra walk. Be creative—every littlebit counts.

STEPBYSTEPTO BETTER HEALTH

It’s true that you can achieve numerous healthbenefits from walking. You can improve your fitness level , blood pressure, and cholesterol levelwith 10,000 steps of activity a day. This Step byStep program will help you achieve better healthby keeping track of what you’re already doing!Using a pedometer, you will record the number ofsteps you currently take in a day, and set a goal toincrease that number to 10,000 steps per day bythe end of the program. No more driving to thegym, no more exercise videos on TV, no moresweating on the stationary bicycle. You just add afew more steps to your day, every day, until youreach 10,000 steps! You can do it!

How far is 10,000 steps? If you have a stride lengthof 2.5 feet/stride (which is average) then 10,000steps is about 5 miles.

Name:

Department:

Phone:

E-mail:

Return to program coordinator by __________.

69

Physician’s Approval Form

__________________________________ has medical approval to participate in theStep by Step walking program.

The following restrictions apply (if none, so state):

Physician’s signature

Physician’s name

Street address

City State Zip

Phone

Date

*Please note that medical consent requirements vary from state to state. You may wish to consult a legalconsultant to ensure the use of the proper form.


Supplemental Materials75 70



Newsletter ArticleUse the article below to promote the Step by Step campaign. You can use it in the companynewsletter, or perhaps make a promotional poster out of it—all you have to do is fill in the blankswhere needed.

Don’t Miss Out…Step to It!

It’s almost here! Just _____ weeks before we kick off the Step byStep campaign—a 12-week walking program.

All program participants will aim to reach the daily goal of 10,000steps—approximately 5,000 more steps a day than the averageAmerican takes. Up to the challenge? Good! Then you’ll be glad tohear that not only will this program most likely improve your physi-cal condition, but you’ll also have the chance to be awarded great incentives such as______________________________________.

Registration forms can be found at______________________. The last day to register is ___________. If you have any questionsplease call _______________________ at ________________.

Don’t miss out on the fun and prizes, sign up today!

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Wellness Councils of AmericaBooks50 Great Ideas for Working Well, A PracticalHandbook to Program Planning:Getting ActiveManaging WeightQuitting SmokingDesktop WellnessPracticing Self-CareManaging StressTo order: 402-827-3590www.welcoa.org

Healthy Achievers KitsAchieving An Active LifestyleWalking for HealthTo Order: 603-743-3838

Human KineticsCD-RomStretching and FlexibilityBooksHealth Promotion Ideas That WorkTo Order: 1-800-747-4457

ETR AssociatesBrochuresGetting Fit with No Time and No MoneyBookletsThinking About Your Fitness?Moving to Fitness: Getting StartedTo Order: 1-800-321-4407

Consumer Information CatalogVisit their website at:http://www.pueblo.gsa.govFitness and Exercise (free)Walking for Exercise and Pleasure ($.50)

Active Videos In Home Walking, Vol. 1-3The Stretching VideoTo Order: 1-800-342-4320

Walking MagazineVisit their website at:www.walkingmag.com

Helpful Websites www.acefitness.orgwww.americanheart.orgwww.acsm.orgwww.cdc.govwww.justmove.orgwww.lungusa.orgwww.physicalfitness.orgwww.shapeup.orgwww.walking.about.comwww.nih.gov

Pedometer VendorsOptimal Health Products and Services210-824-2099(Phone) 210-824-4022 (Fax)

Digiwalkerwww.store.yahoo.com/n-e-wlifestyles/1-888-748-5377

Bodytronicswww.bodytronics.com1-877-786-7928

Additional Resources

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Documents

Step-by-Step: A Walking Campaign - Minnesota Be like a postage stamp—stick to one thing until you get there. ... reaping benefits of good health. And, ... to list the benefits of