In celebration of Sampson Regional Medical Center’s 75th year serving the local community, the healthcare organization hosted a three-month long walking challenge.
Morgan Shaw, SRMC director of Business Development, and Isabella Ellis, SRMC in-house provider recruiter, were directly involved with the walking challenge initiative.
“I love walking and had already Incorporated it into my daily life, and I wanted to show my coworkers how easy it can be,” Ellis explained. “Being a healthcare organization, we wanted something focused on staying healthy,” Shaw added. It was concluded that a walking challenge would be a perfect way to honor the milestone anniversary.
Shaw and Ellis determined that a goal of 6,500 steps per day would equal 75 miles in one month. “We wanted the challenge to be attainable” stated Shaw, “while still incorporating 75 in the goal.”
Everyone, they said, was encouraged to participate and aim for 6,500 steps, and soon all were motivated to surpass that goal.
Walking pads, fitness trackers, and the Step Up app, which gave real-time updates of participants’ steps, kept everyone focused. “The challenge didn’t stop when you left work in the evening, or on the weekend,” Shaw emphasized. Seeing everyone exceeding their goals encouraged participants to keep walking.
Shaw explained how integral Ellis was to the success of the challenge. Everyone noticed Ellis getting so many steps, she said, and wanted to know: “what’s her secret?”
Ellis explained how much a part of her life walking already was, noting that she could be found lacing up her tennis shoes for a walk on her lunch break, and she even had a walking pad at her desk. This inspired many others to add their own walking pads to get their steps in. “The challenge was at the forefront of everyone’s minds,” Ellis explained.
Shaw was one of the many employees who added her own walking pad to her desk. “I think of myself as an active person, but sometimes it was hard to be as active as I wanted having a desk job,” she stressed. “But now with my walking pad, I can incorporate it easily into my work day.”
Shaw added that her walking pad “breaks up her day and keeps her productive.”
The walking challenge brought a healthy level of competition for the whole hospital organization. Shaw remarked that she would often hear comments like “You’re cheating!” or “You put your step tracker on your animal!” This was all in good fun, and kept everyone committed to getting their steps, she pointed out.
The challenge ran from March 20 through June 20. Nearly 200 employees walked over 108 million steps during these three months.
“The most rewarding outcome was seeing employees realize that improving their health doesn’t always require a gym membership or a major lifestyle overhaul. Sometimes it starts with simply moving a little more today than you did yesterday,” Shaw attested.
Research consistently shows that regular walking can improve cardiovascular health, reduce stress, boost energy levels, and support overall well-being. Hospital leaders believe the challenge also had a positive impact on employee morale, creating friendly competition and opportunities for staff members from different departments to connect.
“We wanted to create something fun, accessible, and achievable for everyone,” noted Shaw,”but this challenge was much more than just three months of walking. What we discovered was that a simple challenge to move more sparked a culture shift. Employees encouraged one another, celebrated milestones together, and found creative ways to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines.”
Now Ellis is not the only one you will find wearing walking shoes with business attire, and finding ways to get steps in is encouraged and celebrated.
Hospital leaders said they are excited to see where this walking challenge will lead, not only their organization, but the whole community in prioritizing healthy habits.
“We want to show how easy it is,” Shaw said.