Increasing Physical Activity for School Faculty:

Strategies for SuccessRetta Evans, PhD, UAB

rrevans@uab.edu

Gina Mabrey, MS, JSUgmabrey@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)

ORCombination of intensity activities

(Each activity session should last at least 10 minutes)

Complete 3 activities for 10

consecutive mins

Complete 2 activities for 15

consecutive mins

Complete 1 activity for 30

consecutive mins

Think of it as a 3-2-1 plan

Who’s getting enough??

Physical Activity Statistics(2007, CDC)

Recom

men

ded

Insu

fficien

t

Inac

tive

No Le

isur

e Ti

me

PA

0

10

20

30

40

50

2007

2005

2003200720052003

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 Caucasian-Americans @ 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 counterpartsWorkplace 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 analysiswww.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/hwi/programdesign/costcalculators.htm

• Needs assessmentwww.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, multi-

purpose 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 planning2) Providing instruction/opportunities3) Reinforcing effort or progress

Williams & French, 2011

Action Planning

• Gain Administrative & Employee Support• Create “Fitness Forums”• Establish “Monthly Themes”• Incorporate “Daily Activity”

Monthly ThemesJanuary: Jumpstart FitnessFebruary: American Heart MonthMarch: National Nutrition MonthApril: Spring into FitnessMay: National Employee Health & Fitness MonthJune & July: Summer, Sunshine, & SPFAugust: Advocate ActivitySeptember: Healthy Aging MonthOctober: Breast Cancer Awareness MonthNovember & 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