What is Workplace Walkathon?
Workplace Walkathon is a light-hearted event that aims to help increase activity levels in your workplace.
Work colleagues form teams and conduct a walking race to a virtual destination. This race is done over a set period of time, and is measured by participants counting their steps with a pedometer.
It’s easy, it’s fun, and enjoying some physical activity is good for everyone, even at work.
Regular physical activity and healthy eating can help maintain good health, prevent overweight and obesity, and can help protect against some lifestyle related chronic diseases, such as some cancers, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.i
Good health can also help to boost productivity and staff morale, and reduce sickness and absenteeism costs, making it a worthwhile investment in preventative health care. Healthy eating and regular physical activity will not only benefit the health and wellbeing of individual people and their families, it can also benefit the wellbeing of your organisation.
The aim of this toolkit is to help you organise a workplace event such as a Workplace Walkathon, to promote physical activity in your organisation. This toolkit includes: information on what the event is and how to organise it, some alternative event ideas, what to do and when to do it, and information on how to get local media involved in your event.
Following your event you may wish to send in some photos from the day to be included on the Measure Up website. Simply email them to info@measureup.gov.au. Remember to seek permission from those in the photos before you send them on (see the photo consent form (RTF 22 KB)).
i Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2008. Indicators for chronic diseases and their determinants 2008. Canberra: AIHW