“Thank you for this wonderful program. It helped get me in shape for our week long vacation…We were on our feet for 14 hours a day…This program is a great motivator.” - Step It Up participant
“I think the Step It Up program was very successful. Using the pedometer greatly increased my awareness of how much walking I do or don’t do, and the difference from day to day was significant.” - Step It Up participant
- 99% of Step It Up Walking Challenge survey respondents plan to continue walking as a way to get, or stay, fit.
Steps to a Healthier Minneapolis held a six-week Step It Up Pedometer Challenge for City of Minneapolis employees from May 3, 2006 – June 13, 2006. Approximately 950 employees participated in the Challenge.
The Challenge included kick-off meetings where participants registered their name, department, and phone number; learned how to operate their free pedometer; and received a log book to track the number of steps they took every day. Participants were requested to attend one of the eight kick-off meetings held in six different City of Minneapolis buildings. For those who were interested in the Challenge, but could not attend a kick-off meeting, packets containing a pedometer and instructions were available. Approximately 475 packets were distributed.
Participants were emailed weekly information that included walking tips and Challenge updates. Other forms of promotion included fliers that were changed weekly. These fliers reminded participants of group walks, ways to get additional steps during the day, and general encouragement of healthier lifestyles.
Individuals from various City Departments volunteered or were recruited via email and intranet posting to act as “Department Captains” to assist with recruiting individuals, signing people up for the program, hanging fliers, and motivating participants. Twenty-two (22) Department Captains from 17 departments helped with the Challenge. Department Captains received a baseball cap incentive for their time and assistance. While not required, some Department Captains provided extra incentives for the participants in their area. These included:
- Trophies for person with highest number of recorded steps
- Certificates of participation
- Healthy lunch or snack breaks hosted by the Captain
- Team group walks
Group walks were held on three of the six weeks. One of the walks was sponsored and lead by City Council Member Betsy Hodges. That walk was from City Hall to the near-by Farmers’ Market. The other two walks were from City Hall to the Stone Arch Bridge (which spans the Mississippi River).
Read more about evaluation results from the Step It Up Walking challenge.
Minnesota
