The Benefits of Promoting Walking in your Workplace

In This Issue

Quick Fact: The Benefits of Promoting Walking in your Workplace
Resources
Mark Your Calendars - Upcoming Events

Quick Fact: The Benefits of Promoting Walking in your Workplace

The workplace has a major impact on the physical activity levels and the overall health of its employees. A study by the American Council on Exercise reveals that office administrators take an average of 4,327 steps a day at work, while teachers take 4,726 steps, lawyers 5,062 steps, and police officers only 5,336 steps. Nurses do better at 8,648 steps, while factory, construction and restaurant workers walk about 10,000 steps a day on the job. At the end on the scale are custodians, who walk nearly 13,000 steps a day, and postal workers, who manage nearly 19,000 steps. Studies such as these suggest that a pedometer, by showing employees how many steps they take each day, could encourage them to become more active in order to reduce the risk of future health problems.

Source: http://www.dietsmart.ca/night.html

A Walking Club in the workplace is an easy and inexpensive activity program that provides employees with an opportunity to be physically active during their workday.

Workplaces that encourage regular physical activity report:

• Increased productivity and morale
• Reduced injury rates
• Better employee relations
• Improved job satisfaction and team spirit
• Improved employee health and fitness (Active2010)

Resources

Stepping up your physical activity: Walking to improve your health
Prepared by the Canadian Health Network, this resource provides ideas on getting started, safety, goal setting and pedometer use.

Walks at Work Resource Kit
The manuals provide helpful information for starting and participating in a workplace walking club. It contains a manual for both the team leader and walking participants. There is also a full colour poster to display at your workplace to help recruit participants.

How can we encourage workers to be active?
Another Canadian Health Network page that offers advice to employers on how they can get their employees more active. It includes a six-step model for change that will help employers to motivate their staff.

Hot tips for winter walking
Offers tips on how to dress and hydrate while winter walking.

Safety Tips for Winter Walking
The Canadian Safety Council offers tips for safe winter walking.

Walking, the Activity of a lifetime
This guide provides all the basics you need to start a successful walking program.

Want to get more exercise benefit from your daily walk?
Offers tips, which you can share with employees, on how to optimize your workout while walking.

Mark Your Calendars - Upcoming Events

March 2008

National Nutrition Month - March 2008

Walk this Way: Promoting Walking in your Workplace - March 27, 2008
Louise Daw, Health Promotion Consultant, will hold a Walk this Way workshop on Thursday, March 27 from 12 noon to 2pm. Topics include: why is physical activity inportatnt, strategies to promote walking in your workplace and availability of free tools and promotional incentives.

April 2008

Cancer Awareness Month - April 2008

World Health Day - April 7, 2008

National Immunization Week - April 20 - 26, 2008

May 2008

National Summer Safety Week - May 1 - 7, 2008

National Occupation Health and Safety Week - May 4 - 10, 2008

WHO, Move for Health Day - May 10, 2008

Canada Health Day - May 12, 2008

World No Tobacco Day - May 31, 2008

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For More Information

Check the website for more information. Project Health