Rochester, NY – Employees at Rochester’s hospitals and Excellus BlueCross BlueShield kicked off a little healthy competition Monday.
It’s walking contest for six weeks.
Workers can earn points for their organization by walking for exercise at their work locations and elsewhere.
They’ll log their progress using an online tracking tool.
WalkingWorks administrators will tally each employer’s average miles per participant and announce a weekly leader.
The leading organization each week will receive raffle prizes to offer its employees.
At the end of the competition, the organization with the highest average exercise rate among its employees will be the winner.
To help employees fit regular exercise into their schedules, employers are encouraging them to take walks on their work breaks, using routes inside their facilities as well as nearby parks and public footpaths.
The American Heart Association mapped walking trails for Excellus BCBS and each hospital.
The goal of the competition is show how regular exercise can help protect people from some of the most serious chronic health issues.
“We know that one in three local adults has high blood pressure, one in 10 have type 1 or type 2 diabetes and about two-thirds are obese or overweight,” said Dorothy A. Coleman, executive vice president and chief financial officer, Excellus BCBS.
The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes per week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise.
