A walking challenge which will see competitors travel the equivalent of the distance from John O’Groats to Lands End will get underway at Rampton Hospital on 24 April.
The challenge, in which participants will aim to cover 874 miles, is open to both patients and staff at the Hospital. Ward teams will compete against each other to convert pedometer step totals into mileage. The mileage will be collected on a weekly basis and the results logged on a map of the British Isles and displayed in the recreation hall at the Hospital for everyone to keep a track of their progress. The first team that manages to complete the walk will be rewarded with a fruit hamper for each ward within the team. The ward that has achieved the most mileage within that team will win a piece of cardiovascular equipment for the ward.
The challenge was designed by the Healthy Living Steering Group to initiate positive lifestyle changes and an increase in the amount of physical exercise taken by patients. A large percentage of the patient population do not engage in the recommended minimum five sessions of thirty minutes of moderate activity a week. It is hoped that the Walk 4 Life challenge will change this.
At the launch event participants will be given a Walk 4 Life t-shirt and pedometer. Physical Healthcare, Fitness and Leisure teams from the Hospital will be in attendance to provide support, encouragement and advice on motivation, fitness, diet and personal healthcare.
Evelyn Goodwin, Exercise Referral Coordinator from the Healthy Lifestyle Team said: “We have had a great uptake for the challenge with many patients and staff eager to get moving and it has been wholly supported by the management team at the Hospital. We hope that this challenge will prove an enjoyable way of bringing health benefits to patients and staff alike.”
