May 30, 2009

Dozens of employees at Penobscot Valley Hospital in Lincoln are participating in a wellness event called “Walk before You Run.” Each year, the hospital sponsors an internal wellness contest of some sort to promote regular exercise and healthy choices.

In the “Walk before You Run” contest, which started on May 11, teams of four people keep track of their total time spent exercising for two months. At the end of the contest on July 10, the team with the most cumulative hours of exercise will win. Each member of the winning team will receive a gift card for new sneakers. The second and third place teams will also win prizes.

The “Walk before You Run” contest was designed to precede the hospital’s “5K Run/Walk for Wellness” which takes place on Sunday, July 19 during the 1009 Riverdrivers Homecoming Festival in Lincoln.

“We’re hoping that PVH employees will use this hospital-wide, wellness contest to train and get ready for the Run/Walk this summer,” says hospital spokesperson and Employee Wellness Committee Chair Allison Bankston. “If people are not used to exercising on a regular basis, this bit of friendly, co-worker competition may entice them to do more to get in shape and stay fit and healthy.”

Even if you’re not a hospital employee, Bankston says this is a great time to start exercising more often and getting ready for the 5K Run/Walk for Wellness in July. “For some people, our event is a serious, competitive run, but for others, the contest is internal. It’s a matter of overcoming your fears and realizing you can walk or run that distance. You just have to try--and belief in yourself.”

Physical activity and its benefits differ, depending on the type of exercise, but in general, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that adults get two hours and thirty minutes (150 minutes total) of moderate aerobic activity every week as well as muscle and strength-training activities on two of more days a week.

That may seem like a lot, but you don't have to do it all at once. Not only is it best to spread your activity out during the week, but you can break it up into smaller chunks of time during the day. As long as you’re doing your activity at a moderate or vigorous level for at least ten minutes at a time, you should see benefits from the exercise.

To get things started, the CDC recommends going for a ten minute brisk walk, three times a day, five days a week. This will give you a total of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, which is the recommended amount.