UTMB employees logged more than 471 million steps during the UT System Physical Activity Challenge, earning UTMB first place among large institutions.
The challenge, which ended on May 17, gave employees the goal of completing 50,000 steps per week – or the equivalent activity – for at least five weeks out of the six-week challenge. Of the 2,300 UTMB employees who registered, about 800 (or 30 percent) successfully completed the challenge, which also included an online health-risk assessment.
UTMB had the greatest participation and completion rate for large institutions (6,000+ members), beating out UT Southwestern, UT MD Anderson and UT Austin, and will receive the coveted “traveling trophy” at a ceremony in June.
Gerald Cleveland, UTMB director of Health Promotion and Wellness, said participation was spread across the organization, with strong engagement from CMC, Regional Maternal and Child Health clinics and the Angleton Danbury Campus.
“We are very proud to have been able to showcase the spirit and dedication of our employees during the challenge,” said Cleveland. “Employees reported lifestyle and behavioral improvements such as weight loss, increased stamina and stress reduction. Many used the challenge as a way to kick-start a new habit of regular physical activity, and several groups and departments used the challenge as a way to improve teamwork and productivity.”
Judith Briggs is a medical language interpreter and wellness champion at the Pediatric Specialty Center at Bay Colony in League City. As part of UTMB’s Wellness Champion program, she serves as a liaison to the Health Promotion and Wellness staff, encouraging participation in health programs and initiatives at her clinic. The 42 employees at Bay Colony Pediatrics who took part in the challenge enjoyed it so much that Briggs has received requests to design an on-going challenge to keep clinic staff moving and motivated.
“The challenge motivated everyone to get healthy and ultimately brought all of us at the clinic closer together, including physicians, nurses and staff,” said Briggs. “It was nice to see people get together to go walking during lunch or ask each other ‘how many steps do you have?’ when they passed each other in the hall. Sometimes, we would hold fun competitions, like seeing who could hold a plank the longest or do the most squats. It was a lot of fun and a great team effort.”
Cleveland said the biggest winners will be those who choose to make physical activity a part of their everyday routine and incorporate movement into the work day. “As their success grows, so does the health and resilience of our organization,” he added.
Way to go, Team UTMB! Keep counting those steps and keep up your commitment to building a culture of health across the UT System.
View the 2015 UT System Physical Activity Challenge final results.