Walking Around the World

By Leila Ugincius

Virginia Commonwealth University employees are gearing up once again for the Global Corporate Challenge, the worldwide workplace behavioral change program that improves physical and mental health and enhances productivity.

This year, 98 VCU employees will participate. They will work in 14 teams of seven each to log 10,000 steps — or about five miles — per person each day for a 16-week stretch. Participants take a virtual walking tour around the world based on how many actual steps they log.

The VCU administration's support has gone a long way in encouraging staffers to participate.

"David Hanson [senior vice president] supports wellness in a big way and he loved the challenge last year and pledged to double participation this year," said Debbie Fitzgerald, coordinator of the Work/Life program.

"Obviously, if our employees are healthy, they come to work," Fitzgerald said. "They don't miss as much work, so we like to encourage them to stay healthy. It's a good way to get them involved in something fun. … With a team, they can help each other be successful in the walk."

After seeing how much fun his colleagues had last year, Barry Lanneau, an IT manager in Technology Services, wanted to join this year.

"It was a nice nudge to get to do a little more active walking," said Lanneau, a member of the Taking Steps team. "I look forward to seeing exactly how much that is and what I need to do to get to the 10,000 outside of work."

Laura Georgiadis, a member of team Walkaholics, is a veteran walker.

"This is my second year," said Georgiadis, office manager and executive secretary in the Department of Pharmaceutics. "[The challenge] is a great way to be motivated every single day to get up from your desk. It's the coolest that you plug in your progress and you realize that you can walk a mile every day. And you realize how easy it is to not walk a mile every day."

Walkers received a VCU Global Challenge T-shirt, as well as a pedometer, to help track their progress. The high-tech Pulse pedometer uses accelerometer technology to track daily activity. It contains a 3-D sensor that detects movement in a precise, consistent and reliable way. With this new technology, swimming and cycling distances can be converted on the step entry page of the GCC website.

Recreational Sports' assistant professor Eric West led a kickoff ceremony on Wednesday, May 22, which featured warm-up techniques and tips for healthier walking, such as keeping your abdominal muscles slightly tight, walking from heel to toe and keeping your chest out and shoulders down.

This year's teams are: Add It Up, Divas for Disability, Extra Milers, Ginter Gals, PediCURES, Happy Feet, Make It Real, Ram Runners, Sole Patrol 2, Taking Steps, Team IT, The Rowdy RAMblers, the Walkaholics and Walking Havoc.

The program runs May 23 through September.


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