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Quest for Gold '08

Do you need a quick and easy-to-administer fitness program for your employees? Quest for Gold '08 is a four-week Olympic-themed wellness campaign coinciding with the Summer Olympics; it runs from August 1, 2008 to August 31, 2008. The goal is to increase physical activity. Want to learn more? Email healthmatters@pte.idaho.gov.

Quick Tip

Good wellness habits are often the byproduct of opportunity – at least initially.  A quick and easy idea – make available a scale, tape measure, and a blood pressure monitor onsite in your workplace.  Put them in a place where there is some privacy so employees may use them when they wish.  If funds aren’t available to purchase these items, have a fund raiser or ask for donations. 

Walking Rally

Put together a walking rally!  It's a fun and simple way to get people up and out over the noon hour – and it builds camaraderie!  It’s not about being athletic; it’s about getting up and walking. Want to get started?

Pedometers

Need pedometers for your employees?  America on the Move (AOM) has very basic pedometers available for purchase through the Treasure Valley YMCA.  Price is $2/each; there is no minimum order size.  Consider purchasing a bulk and selling them back to employees at cost.  These are ‘starter’ pedometers and come with no guarantees!   To order pedometers, send an email to: strongemployees@ymcatvidaho.org

Walking Paths

Want to encourage more walking and activity, but don’t want to have a Walking Rally?  Use one of the historic Walking Paths below - or create your own.  Print one of the walking paths below on a poster copier (results in a 23 x 48 size), or take it to a local printer to enlarge, or leave it on legal paper for each individual to track.  Employees can compete against each other or in teams.  To create individual employee or team path markers, take ball-top push pins and use their color or file labels/tape wrapped around the top to make a name tag.  It’s fun to watch the pins make it around the chart!  To create your own historic walking path, see the Idaho Transportation Department’s Idaho Highway Historical Marker Guide.

Prepared walking path maps...

• Highway 12
• Highway 20
• Highway 21
• Oregon Coast
• Indy 500
• Coffee House Jitters

Walking Paths in the Capitol Mall Area:

Trying to get 10,000 or more steps into your day?  Check out these area walking paths.  Put on your pedometer and get walking!

• Short Walks (20-30 minutes)
• Longer Walks (30-45 minutes)

Agency Coordinator’s Role

If one of your many duties is wellness coordination or serving as the wellness contact for your agency, the Health Matters website is a resource for you.  The Coordinator’s Resource Guide (coming soon) will help you start a program that fits your agency’s culture, resources, budget, and goals.  An agency wellness program can be as simple as sending occasional emails to employees connecting them to existing resources, or it can be as structured as running a workplace fitness challenge.  As a champion for wellness, your role is to keep employee health and wellness visible.  Read more about the scope and mission of wellness.

Wellness Program Participant Agreement

If your agency has ongoing wellness activities, exercise classes, or is sponsoring a one-time wellness event, consider having employees sign a participant agreement.  The sample participant agreement* can be used to cover a variety of wellness activities/events over an extended period of time. 

* This sample was provided by Idaho’s Office of the Attorney General; customize it to meet your needs by working with your agency's Deputy Attorney General, or with the Office of the Attorney General, Contracts & Administrative Law Division: 208-334-2400.

Handwashing Reminders

Check out the poster reminder encouraging good Handwashing practices - post it in restrooms and kitchen areas.  Handwashing is one of the most important actions we can take to prevent illness from spreading.

(If you would like to customize this document to your agency, request it in Word format from healthmatters@pte.idaho.gov)

Nutrition/Weight Loss

Inactivity and poor nutrition are among the top health issues plaguing America.  The New Year brings about added motivation to take action!  Let employees know about the following resources:

• Need motivation to lose weight?  Earn money while you lose weight!  Check out Group Insurance and Blue Cross of Idaho’s Weight Management Incentive Program.

• Check out the Blue Extras - discount programs for Blue Cross Members: fitness clubs, hearing, vision, and orthodontia services, and safety and natural medicine. You’ll find it on the Blue Cross website.

Workplace Wellness Speakers

Before you make that call to invite a wellness speaker into your agency, consider the information in this checklist:

• Is the topic relevant to your employees?

• Is the speaker known to you; do you know that the person’s information is credible?

• Obtaining speakers through larger national (e.g., Red Cross, American Cancer Society) or local/regional (Idaho Financial Literacy Coalition, local hospitals) venues can lend credibility and can be more cost efficient.

• Ask the speaker to discuss a specific topic; ask the speaker not to emphasize their business in ways that appear to or promote personal gain.  Remind the speaker of this agreement again prior to the class.

• Let your speaker know something about the audience he/she will be addressing, e.g., age, gender, education level, type of work done by the agency, and participant expectations.

• When introducing the speaker to the group, include the remark: “This speaker’s views are his/her own and do not represent the views of this agency or of the State of Idaho”.

Speaker Agreement Tips (pdf)

Possible Speaker Topics