The Simple Steps concept is, quite simply, simple!
30 Minutes A Day
10 minutes in the morning
10 minutes at lunch time
10 minutes when you get home
Does this sound like something that you could resolve to do? Absolutely! The Surgeon General’s recommendation is that Americans get 30 minutes of exercise per day, five days per week. This recommendation does state that the activity does not have to be 30 minutes at a time. In Simple Steps, you choose how many minutes you would like to dedicate to physical activity on your own. You can choose to attempt more or less than the recommended minutes AND you choose activities you like.
Think of the activities you like to do. Write out your goal — make it specific, measurable, and keep it where you can see it. You can use the goal setting worksheet in the Simple Steps booklet, also available online at www.GVHP.org. List your activities — ten minutes of Tae Bo in the morning, a ten minute round of climbing stairs or walking your worksite, or running errands at lunch, and ten minutes of vacuuming, walking the dog, or playing with your children when you get home. Keep track of your minutes to ensure that you meet your goal.
That is the basis for Simple Steps. It is self-directed, on-going, and based on practices that work. We hope that your worksite will take part in Simple Steps if you are not doing so already.
The real bottom line is the health and wellness of employees. However, in a typical 300 employee company in Western New York, the annual cost of physical inactivity to the employer is approximately $1,178,404. This amount includes $42,459 for medical care $1,586 for workers compensation; and $1,134,360 in lost productivity. Our partner members who encourage their employees to participate in Simple Steps are demonstrating their concern for the individuals who make up their organizations and for the organization itself.