What Makes a Walking Program Work?
Rob Tuell, Account Manager at beBetter Health, knows the ins and outs of corporate walking programs. As both a promoter and participant, he understands what it takes to motivate the masses to move more. Rob has undergrad degrees in journalism and mass communications and graduate degrees in sports management and marketing. This education has enabled him to communicate with program participants and help them understand the importance of having a healthy and active lifestyle. Rob and his team of 15 work with close to 1,000 wellness worksites, promoting fresh and motivating walking programs throughout.
Q: What are some of the key elements in a successful walking program?
A: The program has to be well defined. Whether your workplace is a small or big company, everyone is busy, so the simpler the better. It also needs to be user friendly and fun.
Q: Do you feel like the walking programs can trigger added benefits to the general health and wellness of a company?
A: Walking programs can definitely trigger additional benefits. When a person decides to participate in a wellness program, there is a certain level of commitment. In making that commitment, they are going to look at all areas of their life. They may look at what they eat, how much they sleep, and how much exercise they are getting. It’s going to carry over into other aspects as well.
Q: What is a contributing factor in having a program that does well year after year?
A: A person needs to be able to easily get the program support tools. In one of the walking programs that we use, the client contributes a pedometer when the participant completes a survey. We really try to eliminate any economic hurdles. If you provide the program and the tools to successfully complete it, the only thing they actually have to do is participate.
Q: What have you found is one of the best ways to motivate employees to participate?
A: You have to eliminate any hurdles they may encounter upfront. Whether it’s time or money, make the program as accessible as possible. The other key component is to play off people’s natural competition. People love to compete, they love to joke around. Competition truly inspires people to take that extra step and make that extra effort.
Q: What are some of the programs you implement?
A: We have a walking program called Stepping Stones where the participants are given pedometers so they can track how much they’re walking. Another program we use is called Walk 100 Miles in 100 Days. Those participating are provided a map so they can figure out how far they are walking/running – it could be the miles from New York to Philadelphia – and that’s really fun for them. It makes them step back and say I’d like to walk at least a mile a day and I can get there lots of different ways, whether it’s walking on the track or walking through Walmart. They are able to track their mileage and see how far they can go. In participant surveys, 97% say the program has had an effect on their exercise habits and made them want to exercise more.
Q: Have you participated in the programs or used a pedometer personally?
A: I’ve worn the pedometer and I purposefully try to park further away when I go shopping or at work. At beBetter we use the programs, too. So I have been on both sides of a walking program, whether participating or promoting, and I enjoy all of it.
Q: What kind of results have the programs produced in the past?
A: One of the ways a walking program can benefit employees is that it gets them out and gets them moving. Exercise and moving in general is good for the body. It’s not all about losing weight, but also moving your joints and getting fresh air. Any movement is good movement and we don’t necessarily need the participant to run a marathon. We just want to get them off the couch and moving a little bit. In looking at 5,000 employees who took our pre-surveys, we asked the program participants how many times per week they engaged in some sort of physical activity for 20 minutes or more 5 times a week. The response in the pre-survey was that only 18% exercised for 20 minutes or more 5 times a week. After the walking program was implemented, the percentage jumped from 18% to 37% of participants exercising 20 minutes or more 5 times a week. For us, that is a great response and the walking program is accomplishing exactly what it’s supposed to – get people moving.
