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UB workers take steps toward good health
By MARY COCHRANE
Contributing Editor
Many UB employees may not realize they walk the equivalent of two miles during a typical day. The average American takes 4,000 steps, the equivalent of two miles, per day.
Now, staff and faculty members will have a chance to rise above that average through a free program from the America on the Move Foundation (AOM), which is designed to help participants get fit, gain more energy and possibly lose a few pounds in the process.
The program comes to UB through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which will give away free pedometers to the first 600 staff members who sign up for the active living/healthy eating plan.
Kathleen M. Kielar, director of staff educational services and the new chair of EAP, received a New York state grant to bring AOM to the university. Already, 114 faculty and staff have registered for the program, which aims "just to get people up and moving.
"Our goal here is that you're not going to gain weight," Kielar said. "Hopefully, you'll lose weight, but it's not a weight-reduction plan. It's just getting healthy. A lot of people, if they do this, will naturally lose weight."
Each participant may design a personal program, choosing from the many components of the program featured on the EAP Web site. These range from instructions on how to convert activities other than walking into step totals to recipes for healthier eating. There also are suggested walking trails of varying lengths for both the North and South campuses.
To register, go to http://wings.buffalo.edu/eap/aom/aom.html#Resources. Employees must be among the first 600 to register by the morning of Sept. 20 to receive a free pedometer at the AOM kick-off at noon that day in the Student Union, North Campus.
As part of the AOM program, the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, School of Public Health and Health Professions, will offer personal nutrition assessments and health-risk appraisals for $3 each on two days: from 4-6 p.m. Monday in 203 Diefendorf Hall, South Campus, and from 6-8 a.m. Sept. 22 in 170 Fillmore, Ellicott Complex, North Campus.
Natalie Douglas, senior training specialist in Staff Educational Services, signed up for the AOM program because she finds herself sitting during most of her working day.
"My job mainly consists of computer work at my desk. I signed up for the program with the hope of incorporating some extra movement into my day," Douglas said. "I hope to schedule some extra exercise consistently during the work week. I might even lose a pound or two."
Douglas, who recently has taken up running, plans to walk the 1.5-mile trail on the North Campus each day. Kielar noted that the trails are just suggested ways for employees to measure how far they walk, and that the AOM program is open to one's own design.
"You can walk anywhere you want, any time you want," she said. "The program is based on your individual pace."
Walking on Wednesdays, or WOW, is another option for folks hoping to ramp up the number of steps they walk each day. Those taking part in WOW will receive an added incentive: raffle tickets for the chance to win a $25 gift certificate each week from local stores, including Dick's Sporting Goods, Tops and Wegmans. EAP will post the winning raffle ticket number on its Web site (http://www.wings.buffalo.edu/eap) each week.
The first WOW walk will take place from noon to 1 p.m. during the Sept. 20 kick-off in the Student Union. Then, beginning Sept. 27 and continuing each Wednesday for six weeks, EAP representatives will be available between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. at designated spots on each campus. Participants may start or finish their walks at the designated spots, but will receive their raffle tickets upon arrival.
Douglas believes taking part in the program with others is a key to its success.
"It is easier to stick to a program when you have motivation from others around you," she said. "It is also a lot more fun, too!"