By Kathy Wiseman and Russell Rogerson
With the days getting warmer and longer, people in West Virginia can put on their tennis shoes and experience the many health benefits of walking, which may be one of the simplest and best ways to exercise. May is Employee Health and Fitness Month, which is a great time to encourage people, workplaces and communities to get out and walk for at least 30 minutes a day and put themselves on the road to a healthier lifestyle.
According to the America’s Health Rankings report from UnitedHealth Foundation, in the past five years, obesity rates have increased 16 percent and diabetes among adults has risen 25 percent in West Virginia. West Virginians also experience a high incidence of heart disease. Studies have directly shown that walking more and sitting less can help people maintain a healthier weight, ward off depression and prevent serious issues like heart disease.
A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that one in four American adults sit for more than eight hours a day with almost half—44 percent—getting little to no physical activity each week. Encouraging healthy activities like walking can help create a healthier workforce and lower employer health care costs by improving wellness.
With that in mind, here are some tips for employers to help make walking more fun and effective for their employees:
Think FIT: While many people aim for achieving an aggregate number of total steps each day, research shows that moving frequently throughout the day and taking at least one brisk 30-minute walk can also have health benefits. That’s why people should think FIT, which stands for frequency, intensity and tenacity. The targets to shoot for are 500 steps within seven minutes six times per day; 3,000 steps within 30 minutes each day; and at least 10,000 total steps per day. If those targets seem daunting, remember it helps to start slowly and build up over time.
Find Friends: Walking can also double as a chance to socialize with friends, family or coworkers. Plus, research shows there are several advantages to recruiting a workout friend, likely because that person can hold you accountable and offer support. Starting or joining a walking group at work or in your neighborhood can prove helpful, too. In fact, working out in a group lowers stress by 26 percent compared to working out alone.
Walk with A Wearable: Recent studies show that people tend to overestimate how much they exercise and underestimate sedentary time. To help understand your actual activity patterns and, ideally, reinforce positive habits to support sustained change, consider using a wearable device. This increasingly popular technology has been shown to help people remain diligent in achieving those daily step goals while encouraging seemingly small healthy habits each day that can eventually translate to meaningful improvements.
Earn Incentives: A majority of employers offer incentive-based wellness programs, including some that enable employees to earn more than $1,000 per year by meeting certain daily walking goals. Similarly, websites such as achievemint.com enable people to earn cash rewards for walking.
About the Authors
Katherine Wiseman is the national vice president of UMR, a UnitedHealthcare company. She resides in Charleston with her family and enjoys staying active walking her two dogs, Baxter and Bailey.
Russell Rogerson hails from Wheeling and is president and CEO of the Morgantown Area Partnership, a public-private partnership that provides development alliances to the business community of greater Morgantown.
