Increasing Physical Activity
for School Faculty:
Strategies for Success
Retta Evans, PhD, UAB
rrevans@uab.edu
Gina Mabrey, MS, JSU
gmabrey@jsu.edu
What is
Physical
Activity?
Moderate Intensity
Brisk walking, bicycling, vacuuming,
gardening, or anything else that
causes small increases in breathing
and heart rate.
Vigorous Intensity
Running, aerobics, heavy yard work,
or anything else that causes large
increases in breathing and heart rate
How much is enough??
Recommended
Moderately intense activities > 30
mins/day > 5 days/week (150 mins)
OR
Vigorously intense activities > 20
mins/day > 3 days/week (75 mins)
OR
Combination of intensity activities
(Each activity session should last at least 10 minutes)
Complete 3
activities for 10
consecutive mins
Complete 1
activity for 30
consecutive mins
Complete 2
activities for 15
consecutive mins
Think of it as a 3-2-1 plan
Who’s getting
enough??
Physical Activity Statistics
(2007, CDC)
50
40
30
20
10
0
2003
2005
2007
2007
2005
2003
Health Disparities
• Physical activity declines with age
• Women are less likely than men to
meet PAGA (61% vs 69.9%)
• 55% of African-Americans and
48.4% of Mexican-Americans meet
PAGA compared with CaucasianAmericans @ 68.8%
Tucker, Welk, & Beyler (2011)
Physical inactivity costs: $251.11 billion
Excess weight costs: $256.57 billion
Why Employee Wellness in Schools?
• Important and valuable to school-wide success
• Improve staff health, increase physical activity
• Schools should plan and implement policies,
and incentive programs for faculty and staff
• When school leaders are personally committed
to good health practices, they are positive role
models to students they serve
Coordinated School Health Model
Benefits to Employers
Individuals with good exercise habits
cost 10% less than sedentary
counterparts
Workplace exercise programs may:
• Reduce annual medical costs by $76
million (Annual HC costs > $900 billion)
• Decrease absenteeism by 32%
• Increase productivity up to 55%
•
(Safeer & Rothenstein, 2011)
PLAN
• Get “buy-in” from administration
• Use current wellness committee to plan
health interventions
• Establish clear goals/objectives for wellness
program
Wellness Committee
could complete the following:
• Evaluate the current programs, services and
policies that are available at your workplace
• Assess employee needs and preferences
• Develop a health promotion operating plan,
goals, and objectives
• Assist in implementing, monitoring, and
evaluating WHP activities
ASSESS NEEDS
• Health Risk Assessments
– Information on demographics (e.g., sex, age),
lifestyle (e.g., smoking, exercise, alcohol, diet),
personal medical history, family medical history,
physiological data (e.g., height, weight, blood
pressure, cholesterol levels)
• Cost/benefits analysis
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/hwi/programdesign/costcalculators.htm
• Needs assessment
www.welcoa.org/freeresources/index.php?category=11
Design Healthy Environments at Work
• mihealthtools.org/work/
• Helps your worksite determine ways to create
a healthier worksite environment - one that
supports employees in moving more, eating
better and leading a tobacco-free lifestyle.
Conduct an Environmental Audit
Audits provide opportunities for employees to practice healthy
behaviors, (physical activity) or can discourage unhealthy
behaviors, (using tobacco products).
Features that may be audited include the following:
• Availability of nutritious foods in vending and cafeterias
• Availability of tobacco- or smoke-free areas
• "Walkability" of the work place, sidewalks between
buildings and stairs within buildings
• Availability of fitness centers, shower facilities, multipurpose paths, bicycle racks that support physical activity
IMPLEMENT
Programs
– StairWELL to Better Health
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/hwi/toolkits/stairwell/index.htm
– Walkability Audit Tool
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/hwi/toolkits/walkability/index.htm
– Discount Fitness Club Network
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/hwi/toolkits/fitnessclub/index.htm
IMPLEMENT
Policies
• Formal, written laws/policies, such as federal
authorizing and appropriations law or a specific
smoking ban
• Informal, such as "casual Fridays," where such a
rule doesn't exist formally, but is collectively
assumed that employees may wear jeans to work
EVALUATE
• Involve analyzing the results achieved in the
WHP program
• Determining if they meet goals and objectives
• Identifying what was successful and what
needs to be improved.
• Evaluation should be an ongoing activity in
health promotion programs.
Strategies to Increase
Physical Activity
1) Action planning
2) Providing instruction/opportunities
3) Reinforcing effort or progress
Williams & French, 2011
Action Planning
• Gain Administrative & Employee
Support
• Create “Fitness Forums”
• Establish “Monthly Themes”
• Incorporate “Daily Activity”
Monthly Themes
January: Jumpstart Fitness
February: American Heart Month
March: National Nutrition Month
April: Spring into Fitness
May: National Employee Health & Fitness Month
June & July: Summer, Sunshine, & SPF
August: Advocate Activity
September: Healthy Aging Month
October: Breast Cancer Awareness Month
November & December: Holiday Survival (6-week plan)
Provide
Instruction/Opportunities
• January- ScaleBack Alabama
http://www.scalebackalabama.com/
• August- Begin a “couch to 5K”
group that meets before/after
school
• October- Enroll a team in a Breast
Cancer Walk
Provide
Instruction/Opportunities
• Move It Mondays
• Toning Tuesdays
• Walking Wednesdays
• Tighten Up Thursdays
• Fit Fridays
Reinforcing effort/progress
• Identify “Team Captains”
• Provide Prizes/Incentives
• Consider “other” Environmental
Changes (e.g., healthy vending &
brown-bag lunches)
Examples
•
•
•
•
•
Wellness Wednesday- Once per month
Healthy Living Newsletter
Learn & Burn
10,000 Steps Daily
Wellness Moments
SUMMARY
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Gain administrative support
Create a Wellness Committee
Plan strategies
Assess activity needs
Implement policies
Provide activity opportunities
Evaluate efforts