Building a healthier life one step at a time

FIU employees participating in a pilot rewards program designed to encourage a more active, healthier lifestyle have formed Team FIU and will compete in the Florida Collegiate Challenge against FSU and USF, April 29 to May 20. You can follow their progress every step of the way. FIU employees are invited to take the two-question poll at the end of this article indicating your interest level in participating in such a program.

By Sissi Aguila

 Have you ever thought about how many steps you take a day?

Let’s see: On a typical day, your alarm goes off in the morning. You roll out of bed. Twenty minutes later, you’re in your car riding the breaks for forty-five minutes. You get to work. Settle in behind your desk and begin firing out emails. You rush to your first meeting and then another meeting. And before you know it you’re back in your car stuck in the evening commute. You’ve had a hectic day as usual and yet you’ve engaged in virtually no physical movement (sorry, a quick walk to the Graham Center for lunch and rapid typing don’t count). If you had a pedometer attached to your belt, as I did this past week, you’d find that you’ve barely taken 4,000 steps. Most studies suggest you should be taking about 10,000 steps a day.

FIU Business Services and Human Resources have teamed up with Virgin HealthMiles to help FIU employees take more steps and, in the process, lead healthier lives.

Earlier this year, twenty staff members began participating in a pilot program that measures their physical activity while monitoring their health. Before getting started, participants received physical exams courtesy of FIU’s Wellness Center. They were then given a pedometer to track every step – walking the dog, elliptical training, lunchtime power-walks or dance lessons.

The data from the pedometer is uploaded to an online center where participants monitor their activity, take their health measurements and manage their personal, secure account. The more steps members take and the more healthy activity they participate in, the more miles they earn, which translates into rewards. As they reach different milestones, they can earn up to $500 in gift cards to places such as Sports Authority and Best Buy.  

“Programs like these can be morale boosting for staff,” explains Patti Bamford, assistant vice president of Business Services. “It encourages you to take care of yourself and be more cognizant of your health.”   

Unhealthy employees also cost a lot of money. According to the study, Economic Costs of Physical Inactivity, Obesity and Overweight, conducted in 2005, the incremental cost of a physically inactive worker is $2,400 a year and $3,270 for an obese worker.

“We hope that working with a program like Virgin HealthMiles will eventually lead to lower health care costs,” Bamford said.

According to Virgin HealthMiles’ Web site, 21 percent of its members who were hyper or pre-hypertensive have lowered their blood pressure by at least one category; 14 percent with a high body fat percentage have dropped into a healthy range; 9 percent who were overweight or obese have dropped into a healthier BMI category. 

Walking the talk . . .

FIU participants in the HealthMiles program are seeing results.

“I’m having a good time doing it,” said Charlie Blackwell, a refrigeration mechanic at University Park. “I park my mule and I walk to wherever I need to go on campus.”

Blackwell, who has been at FIU 28 years, has six kids and three grandchildren. Since starting the program, he has lost 15 pounds. “I walk around the house while I’m cooking. I’m happy and my wife is really happy,” he added.

For Janik Collin, assistant director of Human Resources, the program has been holistic. “This is the best thing that has happened to me in a long time,” Collin said. “My teenage son, who is responsible for every grey hair on my head, has been walking with me or riding his bike to keep me company. He talks to me like never before. I have so much more insight into his life.”

A second 200-person pilot of the HealthMiles program is planned for this summer, if there is enough interest from FIU faculty and staff. Business Services and Human Resources are currently seeking funding, sponsorships and eager participants. For more information, contact bussvc@fiu.edu.

Getting in the “zone” . . .

Fourteen of FIU’s current participants will compete as a team against Florida State University and the University of Southern Florida in the Virgin HealthMiles Florida Collegiate Challenge. The challenge is meant to bring attention to the issues of obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. 

The winning team will be determined by which university takes the most steps starting April 29 through May 20. Winners will receive a $6,000 credit with HealthMiles, a nifty trophy to display on campus and, more importantly, bragging rights.

Team FIU’s goal is 1,500,000 steps in 30 days. You can track their progress on Twitter or join the discussion on Facebook. News@FIU will include weekly posts from participant Elias Bardawil for the duration of the contest.

How much is your health worth?

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