Tips for Organizing a Walking Challenge
at Your Business/Organization/Church
Workplace and community wellness programs are becoming increasingly popular. They can help build camaraderie and even help businesses save on healthcare costs while boosting employee productivity. Starting a walking group at your business or in your community can be a great way to build relationships and to encourage one another to achieve health and fitness goals.
- Organize a wellness committee. A wellness committee is a group of people who provide guidance and support for the program. Learn more about wellness committees from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- Decide how often you will walk, the route, distance or time, meeting location and other logistics. Also determine an alternate location in case of poor weather conditions.
- Determine the details of your walking challenge. There are many ways you can measure this including most minutes walked during a specific time frame, the longest distance, etc. Will the reward simply be bragging rights, or will there be tangible prizes like a gift certificate to a healthy restaurant, a new pair of sneakers or fitness gear?
- Recruit colleagues or friends by sending emails, distributing flyers or through social media.
- Begin your group walks and encourage everyone to attend and to account for their time, distance, etc.
Once you've established your walking group, consider ways you can maintain momentum. Give your group a name, participate in charity events, find new routes and even set new goals. Continue to challenge yourself and your group and you will continue to enjoy the benefits of your healthy lifestyle.
Resources:
Start a Walking Group
American Council on Exercise
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Walking Essentials:
