This challenge expands on those habits we gained (and hopefully retained!) from our 50 Day Activity Challenge that we participated in last spring and then takes it to the next level. To qualify for this challenge, each staff member must participate in moderate to brisk, structured activity at least 30 minutes a day for 50 days. This can include anything from swimming, weights, cardio, etc. for 30 continuous minutes. Yes, walking around the neighbourhood for 30 minutes counts! NO, grocery shopping for 30 minutes does not count! Vacuuming or dusting does not count. This must be a planned physical activity above and beyond your regular, daily activity.
Staff must ALSO select one specific food related challenge to accomplish each day. For example:
- Eliminate coffee for the entire 50 days
- No take-out food for the entire 50 days
- Drink 32 ounces of water each day
- Eat X number of fruits/vegetables a day (7-10 is recommended)
- Eat breakfast everyday within 2 hours of waking
These were just suggestions. Each staff member choose their own goal and it had to be something more specific than “lose weight.” Our LBD PCN Dietitian offered advise to each staff member who needed some help deciding on an appropriate and realistic goal for themselves. Here are some of the food challenges our staff selected:
- Eliminate pop/soda
- Eliminate popcorn/chips/nachos
- Eat breakfast within 2 hours of walking
- Add an additional 2 servings of vegetables each day
- At least 7 servings of fruits/vegetables a day
This challenge is run on the honour system; our staff is keeping track of their own activity/food challenge with stickers on a poster in the lunchroom for everyone to see.
This was our sticker board from our challenge last spring. Everyone loved the stickers!
Within the 50 day period, each staff member may miss up to 8 DAYS and still qualify to win the challenge. When someone missed a day of 30 minutes of the activity OR food challenge, they had to place an X on the board. To be clear, BOTH the activity and food challenge must be met each day in order to receive a sticker. If a staff member misses more than 8 days within the 50 day challenge, they are disqualified.
To provide a extra bit of motivation, besides the obvious health benefits of this challenge, each staff member paid an entry fee is $20 and the winner of the challenge will win it ALL! We have 15 staff members participating which gives us a pot of $300! At the end of the 50 days, all participants who qualify will have their name entered into a draw and one name will be pulled at random. That person will win the entry fees!
Our LBD PCN staff started the 50 Day Healthy You Challenge on January 21st and it will finish on March 11th.
This is a great workplace challenge and we encourage you to challenge your own coworkers to a 50 Day Challenge as well. What a great way to keep some of those New Year's Resolutions going and it is a great way to start a healthy habit that each person can build on after the challenge is over.
