The Official 10,000 Steps® Program

The Official 10,000 Steps® Program is a 7-10 week team based walking challenge, using pedometers to measure daily steps. It has motivating and competitive elements with an overall goal of encouraging staff to join a team, get active and complete their daily personal challenge.

5 Easy Steps to the Official 10,000 Steps® Program

	Choose a challenge start date to suit your workplace calendar.
	Choose a challenge – staff can complete a virtual walk around NZ or Australia.
	Display promotional material and encourage staff to register for the challenge as part of a team.
	Start the challenge – participants will wear a pedometer every day. Team Step Captain’s will enter participant’s results into the 10,000 Steps® website each week, where teams can monitor their virtual progress on a map.
	To reward effort select a prize for the first team to complete the challenge. To keep motivation high across all participants, choose a prize for a Spirit of the Challenge award and The Most Improved Stepper.

Why take 10,000 Steps a day?

Research has proven that to reduce long term health risks such as cardiovascular disease it’s important to be physically active, and 10,000 Steps per day is a great target for adults.

How can you measure 10,000 Steps a day?

The Official 10,000 Steps® Program uses high quality Yamax pedometers to measure step counts. They are the most accurate pedometer’s available, measuring within 1% of steps actually taken (Bassett, et al 1996, 2003). Clipped to clothing at the hip, these high-quality pedometers ensure participant motivation and enthusiasm is maintained thanks to their honest measurements.

What is the Official 10,000 Steps® Program?

Wear pedometers every day to measure their daily steps. Their challenge is to complete 10,000 Steps each day. However participants also compete in the Program as part of a team. The team’s goal is to collect enough step counts over the course of the Program to plot their steps around the circumference of an online country map. The fastest team to complete the circuit is awarded a prize.

Vitality Works have designed two 10,000 Steps® Program challenges.

Choose from the Around NZ Challenge map or the Around Australia Challenge map for your employee’s virtual walk.

How long does the challenge take?

The duration of the challenges depends on the activity levels of your staff. However in our experience both challenges take approximately 7-10 weeks. Our current record-holder for the fastest challenge is 5 weeks!

When can your organisation begin the Official 10,000 Steps® Program?

Check your workplace calendar for an appropriate time and contact us.

Back To Page 1

Workplace team-walking challenge
Pedometer-based
Wide appeal to employees of all fitness levels
Employees from different regions and even countries can complete the program together
Promotes a healthy workplace
Encourages employees to take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing

Download New Zealand ROI case study

Make an Enquiry
Or Phone Now - 0800 222 949

"In September and October 2011, 308 staff members from Plant & Food Research sites across New Zealand took part in the 10,000 Steps® programme. In total, the group took a collective 205,564,639 steps over the 8 week period. The programme involved teams of up to 10 people measuring their steps every day, with the aim of walking from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island and back up to Blenheim in the eight week period. Twenty of the 34 teams managed to complete the course of 5,530,486 steps, with several managing it in less than the eight weeks. Twenty one people managed to clock up more than a million steps over the challenge. In week 1 of the Challenge, Plant & Food Research staff took 22,136,119 steps, increasing this by close to 20% by week 8. It is hoped that this level of exercise will be retained as a life sustaining habit now the official competition is over."
- Emma Timewell, Senior Communications Advisor, Plant & Food Research

"I think this has been an enormous success...We have achieved everything we set out to do when David and Katie first started us on this journey over a year ago. My expectations have been exceeded and I look forward to Vitality Works working with us in future years as we build on what has been achieved this year."
- John Lamb, Chief Executive, A J Park

"My mental stamina increased ten fold. Nice to get to the end of the day and still be awake"

"Working as a team with other members of the division has made us a stronger work group."