Walking challenge promotes fitness, aids children's program (Shreveport times)
When Steelscape handed its employees pedometers as part of a companywide participation in the Willis-Knighton Health System and KSLA TV-12 Steppin' Out challenge, Lori Hammon thought it sounded interesting.
The second annual national walking challenge, which runs for seven days beginning Monday, kicking off Medical Fitness Week, encourages participants to take 10,000 steps each day and benefits Willis-Knighton's Kids in Shape program -- nearly half of each $10 registration fee for Steppin' Out will go to funding scholarships for the children's program.
For Hammon, if taking extra steps each day was going to improve her health while benefiting a program to reduce child obesity, she was all for it. But 10,000 steps each day seemed like a lot to the working mother of three.
So Hammon and many other Steelscape employees decided to do some test runs. Instead of 10,000, she was walking more than 18,000 steps during a shift of work.
Hammon likes having a job that keeps her moving all day.
"I can eat just about anything I want," she said.
But it's also been fun seeing the validation of her steps taken while walking the line at work on the pedometer.
"I don't workout otherwise," said Hammon, a California transplant who moved to the area in January to work at Shreveport's Steelscape, which produces metallic-coated and pre-painted steel coils. "I've always wanted to start, but we've been busy here at work."
But there is still time for others to sign up for the program. Entry forms are available at the four Willis-Knighton Fitness and Wellness Centers on each hospital campus.
Steelscape is paying the $10 entry fee for each of their 80 employees.
"We do monthly wellness programs to help our employees stay fit and this goes good with that goal," said company spokeswoman Linda Coleman. "It's also for a good cause."
The obesity rate in the Unites States has been termed "epidemic" by many medical professionals. The Medical Fitness Association reports 64 percent of Americans are overweight, 30 percent are obese, and $117 billion a year is spent on medical costs related to being overweight and obese.
Less than 20 percent to 30 percent of the population engages in recommended levels of physical activity.
"This program is really about just bringing awareness to people on fitness and get people of all ages more active," said Ken Paulovich, who runs the WK Fitness and Wellness Centers and is a member of the Medical Fitness Association board.
With more than 1,100 entries already turned in, Paulovich said Willis-Knighton is prepared for the large onslaught of free monthly memberships.
"We'll work it out so it doesn't happen all in the same month," he said. "But we have four fitness centers and we're ready."
The second annual national walking challenge, which runs for seven days beginning Monday, kicking off Medical Fitness Week, encourages participants to take 10,000 steps each day and benefits Willis-Knighton's Kids in Shape program -- nearly half of each $10 registration fee for Steppin' Out will go to funding scholarships for the children's program.
For Hammon, if taking extra steps each day was going to improve her health while benefiting a program to reduce child obesity, she was all for it. But 10,000 steps each day seemed like a lot to the working mother of three.
So Hammon and many other Steelscape employees decided to do some test runs. Instead of 10,000, she was walking more than 18,000 steps during a shift of work.
Hammon likes having a job that keeps her moving all day.
"I can eat just about anything I want," she said.
But it's also been fun seeing the validation of her steps taken while walking the line at work on the pedometer.
"I don't workout otherwise," said Hammon, a California transplant who moved to the area in January to work at Shreveport's Steelscape, which produces metallic-coated and pre-painted steel coils. "I've always wanted to start, but we've been busy here at work."
But there is still time for others to sign up for the program. Entry forms are available at the four Willis-Knighton Fitness and Wellness Centers on each hospital campus.
Steelscape is paying the $10 entry fee for each of their 80 employees.
"We do monthly wellness programs to help our employees stay fit and this goes good with that goal," said company spokeswoman Linda Coleman. "It's also for a good cause."
The obesity rate in the Unites States has been termed "epidemic" by many medical professionals. The Medical Fitness Association reports 64 percent of Americans are overweight, 30 percent are obese, and $117 billion a year is spent on medical costs related to being overweight and obese.
Less than 20 percent to 30 percent of the population engages in recommended levels of physical activity.
"This program is really about just bringing awareness to people on fitness and get people of all ages more active," said Ken Paulovich, who runs the WK Fitness and Wellness Centers and is a member of the Medical Fitness Association board.
With more than 1,100 entries already turned in, Paulovich said Willis-Knighton is prepared for the large onslaught of free monthly memberships.
"We'll work it out so it doesn't happen all in the same month," he said. "But we have four fitness centers and we're ready."
posted by Lankadata at 12:21 AM
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