NEW: State Employees to Take Physical Activity Challenge
Monday, April 16, 2012
According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 60 percent of U.S. adults do not engage in the recommended amounts of physical activity to maintain good health. Additionally, a recent State of Rhode Island employee survey showed that nearly 85 percent of State employees would like to increase their daily physical activity level.
To help State of Rhode Island employees improve their health and productivity and better manage health care costs, the State of Rhode Island, UnitedHealthcare and ShapeUp will be partnering to offer a fun, free and interactive workplace wellness challenge.
Starting March16, all State of Rhode Island employees could register to compete in The Physical Activity Challenge, a friendly competition to see who can log the most exercise minutes and pedometer steps. From April 16 - May 20, teams and individual employees will communicate with one another and keep track of their activity through an exclusive, online social networking platform. At the end of the challenge, wellness prizes will be awarded to the top three teams with the most exercise minutes, and top three teams with the most pedometer steps.
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“Gaining the motivation to get back in shape after a long winter is difficult, and The Physical Activity Challenge will be an exciting way for all State of Rhode Island employees to re-commit to their health goals alongside friends and colleagues,” said Governor Lincoln D. Chafee. “With the generous support of UnitedHealthcare and ShapeUp’s innovative social media technology, we can look forward to starting the spring season on the right foot.”
“We’re excited to power The Physical Activity Challenge, an important health initiative for State of Rhode Island employees,” said Dr. Rajiv Kumar, founder and chief medical officer of ShapeUp. “We look forward to working with the State and UnitedHealthcare to implement our social wellness solution that engages employees in healthy activities and changes behavior.”
