Can Pedometers Improve Productivity?
An interesting exercise program that virtually challenges employees at companies all over the globe has turned out to be an amazing success in getting workers to move more every day. It’s an annual 100 day contest that challenges both blue and white collar workers to walk more every day. It’s called the Stepthalon and a team of cardiologists in Australia evaluated two years of results of the program, which was developed by a wellness company based in Mumbai, India.
I get the whole connection to ‘heptathlon’ and those other marathon-like sports efforts. This is described as a “virtual race around the world.” I think this solution is pretty creative because it’s easy to accomplish and it brings out the competitiveness of our human nature. The challenge included over 60,000 workers in over 60 countries. Groups of 5 competed against others, either internal to their company or anywhere around the world. They simply measured participating employee steps via pedometer. The workers posted their progress on a private social media site where they also could encourage one another and talk smack about competing teams.
Results reflected almost half the participants completed the full 100 day challenge. The staff recorded that they reduced sitting by 45 minutes per day and increased their daily activity by walking 3,500 additional steps per day. As a bonus they also lost 3 pounds.
More than important than the weight loss is the difference in energy and the resulting increase in productivity experience by the teams. Research has proven the link between exercise and movement at work with increased productivity. The health benefits are easy to see as well. Incidence of sickness and disease is greatly reduced in people who are active everyday. Our bodies were meant to move.
This Stepthalon appears to be an fun an interesting strategy to kick start a wellness challenge within an organization or even a small subset in a 5 person team interested in competing against others around the world. Check out more about the Stepthalon —>>> CLICK HERE
