University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point Wellness Programme

Here is a very good Employee Wellness web site from an American University
Read such incentive programmes as "Dip into Fitness" swimming program and "One Foot In Front of the Other" walking, running, and biking program.

Fit Business

http://www.wellnesstaskforce.org/fitbusiness-0405winners.html is from the California Taskforce on Youth and Workplace Wellness

Promoting Worksite Health

Centers for Disease Control and PreventionNational Center for Chronic Disease Prevention Healthier Worksite Initiative (HWI) began in 2002 to lead federal agencies in implementing the HealthierUS initiative, which calls on public and private employers to encourage their employees to be physically active every day, eat a nutritious diet, get preventive screenings, and make healthy choices. CDC will disseminate evidence-based interventions and lessons learned to other federal, state, and private employers through an Internet-based tool kit. In fiscal year 2005, HWI will continue to develop and implement policy and environmental changes at CDC work sites that help people make healthy choices.

ccdinfo@cdc.govhttp://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa

Feet Beat - workplace wellness programme

Feetbeat – walking towards workplace wellness
Feetbeat is an eight week physical activity programme organized by the Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) to encourage employees to exercise.
The goal of the programme is to encourage people to do 30 minutes per day of physical activity to support good health and wellbeing.
Teams of up to eight participants commit to the programme and document their combined distances of activity to gain points. These activities may include walking, cycling, running and swimming. Bonus points can be gained through encouraging whanau and friends to participate with them on their journey to health.
For further information on Feetbeat programmes

please contact:
Sugar Te Paa

ARPHSPrivate Bag 93 5022TakapunaAuckland District Health BoardPh

(09) 488 2310 ext 8707

Feetbeat@adhb.govt.nz

Built Environment and Walking – Encouraging Physical Activity in and Around Buildings

There are clear links between the built environment and physical activity (PA) levels. To date, most of this work has focused on how city planning can encourage or discourage walking and cycling between destinations. For a summary of this see http://www.sparc.org.nz/partners-and-programmes/active-communities/active-friendly-environments/overview.

While the design of urban connections between buildings and across our cities is an important consideration in any approach to sustained PA, the role that building designs has to play is under appreciated. We spend a large proportion of our week inside or around buildings (home, work, public/commercial buildings).

Which features of, or designs of, buildings best support walk friendly environments?
How can we encourage developers to build walk friendly buildings?
How could workplace HR or company policy/programmes support a built environment approach?

Comments or suggestion to Jason.Morgan@sparc.org.nz