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Many worksites in our group have a physical activity
objective that says they will establish
a physical activity program based on personal goal setting.
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Physical Activity Counts
(PAC) is a physical activity program
based on personal goal setting. It is designed to help participants
increase their level of physical activity according to their own
interests and lifestyle. The PAC program was adapted from "Move
For Life," a program promoted by the NYS Physical Activity Coalition.
(See below for more about MFL web site.)
The basic PAC program format demands little administrative
overhead, making it ideal for smaller (<200 employees) worksites.
Using the PAC scoresheet,
worksites may modify PAC by adding teams, forming walking or other
activity groups, or emphasizing goals and improvement.
Many large companies have registered online with the Move For
Life program. Individual employees then register for MFL as a
member of their company. Follow these links for more information:
New
York State Physical Activity Coalition
Move For Life (MFL)
Physical Activity Counts (PAC)
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Setting up your program
Here are some basic steps for getting
your program up and running, along with follow-through
ideas. Review these guidelines before embarking
on any of the three programs cited above. (See
also the sample written
objective).
Get
a sense of employee interest level
How will you track achievement?
How long will you run the program?
What forms will be needed?
What displays will be needed
to promote and explain?
What is your incentives
program?
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Step-by Steps
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Ideas
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Get a sense of employee
interest level
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Most worksites have already done this step through
employee surveys, wellness
committee meetings, or informal conversation. Although
this is not an essential step, it is nice to get some early
feedback from your co-workers using one of these methods.
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If your program is incentive
based (prizes and stuff), how will you track
achievement?
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PAC uses a point system based
on time; one point is earned for
every ten (10) minutes of physical
activity that is as vigorous as taking a
brisk walk. Participants record their points
daily, and total their score cards weekly.
All reporting is on the honor system.
Completed score cards are
turned in weekly. A simple way to bring
the incentives in is to have the score card
also be a raffle ticket. This way every
week of activity means another chance to
win.
You may want to state that
participants must reach a minimum score
to be eligible for the raffles. This way
some effort is required for a chance to
win a prize. Consider a minimum of 10 points.
An incentive for getting
more points or for reaching personal goals
is another option. A word of caution though:
a system that is too complex can become
cumbersome for the participant, and contentious
and time consuming for the scorekeepers.
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How long will you run the
program?
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Since we are looking for environmental
changes—things which become fixtures... part of the worksite
identity and culture—consider an ongoing program.
For example, keep the PAC
scoresheets posted all year long. Then
once a quarter or so collect completed scoresheets
over a 4-6 week period for a prize drawing.
That way participants stay motivated because
achievement is always in reach.
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Determine what will be needed
to promote and explain the program
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Ideas to consider include:
- Emails, posters or payroll
stuffers
- Program dates and rules
- PAC scoresheet displays
- Scoresheet collection box or envelope
- Incentives awarded: what
and how
- Activity and goal
ideas (could be a chart filled-in
by participants)
- Wellness
benefits from a habit of regular physical
activity
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Work out your incentives
program
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- Will everyone who participates
receive a "prize"?
- How many major raffle
prizes will be awarded each event?
- Will incentives be items
or recognition pins, certificates or other
displays?
- Will there be financial
incentives tied to fringe benefits or
compensation?
For more specific ideas,
see the incentives
page.
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Back to start of
Steps section
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page
If you have questions about setting
up your physical activity program, write
or call.
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Got
ideas?
Share your experiences with other HHW participants!
Click here.
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