How to Start a Walking Program at Work

Walking has been promoted for years as one of the best and easiest of exercises. However, people often use the excuses of not having enough time during the day or being too tired at the end of the day to go for a walk. Starting a walking program at the work eliminates one of the barriers to getting daily exercise.

Instructions

    • 1

      Promote the importance of exercise for all employees initially by inviting a fun guest speaker. You can often find someone through a local recreation center, an organization like the American Heart Association or an employee who is a avid fitness person. Put up fun posters and flyers that encourage healthy habits. Create the need and desire for a walking program before offering it.

    • 2

      Survey your workforce and see if they prefer walking before work, at lunchtime or after work. You might have enough interest to create two walking groups that will accommodate the early and the later walkers. This way the employees can pick the walking time that works best for their schedule.

    • 3

      Solicit from local retailers, sporting goods stores, health clubs, grocery stores and restaurants items and services that you can use as prizes and incentives for those who participate in the walking program.

    • 4

      Set up a regular day and time for the walkers to meet. The walk leader should have a good route planned that is enjoyable and that will return the group back to work in a timely manner. It helps if the leader has high energy and is excited about getting a chance to walk during the workday.

    • 5

      Set up competitions for the number of days walked or the distance covered. Get maps and figure out how far it is from New York City to San Francisco. Have your participants plot their progress along their map according to how far they walk.Let them count miles walked over the weekends. This will encourage continued participation and make it a lifestyle activity rather than just something done at work.

    • 6

      Arrange for an alternative activity for days you cannot go outside. Recruit any employees who can teach aerobics or yoga.Have music playing at lunchtime and encourage dancing. If you are in a multi-story building, have the employees walk the stairs.

    • 7

      Offer pedometers and have people record their steps daily. Ask them to average their steps on a weekly basis and offer small rewards like a gold star or their name written on a roster of achievers when they reach new plateaus like 5,000 steps a day. Have them strive for 10,000 steps a day, and have a grand prize for those who get there.