Success Stories

Rationale
We needed a break from the routine at lunchtime and needed to incorporate some excersie into our daily lifestyle.

Objectives
We decided to walk at least three times a week for a minimum of 20 minutes per time.

Program
We encourage others to join in on our walks.

Obstacles
Weather is difficult! Wear proper clothing and keep up with the encouragement.

Successes
people feel better and look forward to getting out in the fresh air.

Costs
no cost

Recommendations
Do the same but remember to be inviting and encouraging.

Rationale
Stairway to Health Program QLT Inc. is a global biopharmaceutical company specializing in developing treatments for cancer, eye disease, and dermatological and urological conditions. The headquarters of QLT is located in a five storey building in Vancouver. In March of this year, Workplace Wellness Solutions Inc. introduced the Stairway to Health Program to QLT employees. The program was kicked off with a Lunch and Learn session outlining all of the wonderful benefits to stair-climbing. There was a fun quiz with the coveted QLT ballpoint pens given out as prizes to the individuals most knowledgeable regarding stairway activity. Larger prizes were promised for the best recruiter and the race was on! We climbed the equivalent of five CN Towers over the course of eight weeks. The program was a great success and thanks to the incredible push from some very gifted recruiters, over 25% of all employees completed the program. Here are some of our testimonials: It's too easy at work to say "I'm in a hurry so I'll take the elevator". But although it may be the easy way, it's not necessarily the best way. I have learned that over the past two months. When I started climbing the stairs, I could hardly breathe after only one flight. Over 300 flights later I still huff and puff a bit but not like before. I can feel a discernible difference in my strength. I am grateful to QLT for the challenge and the opportunity to prove to myself that I could do it. My personal best was 24 flights in one day, and of course, that doesn't include the downs, just the ups. It makes the idea of UPS and DOWNS more fun. I have earned my water bottle and am looking forward to claiming it. I'd like a blue one, please. I'll need it as I continue to climb the stairs. Patricia Brodie So many people are taking the stairs! A few times, there were traffic jams in the stairwell. Some people were walking down to the first floor to use the washroom or get water or coffee just so they could get their quota of stairs in. While others walked up to the roof then down to the actual floor they were heading for. Thank you for introducing the program. It not only motivated and inspired more people to use the stairs but also brought people together. Valerie Tang I wasn't even going to do it (I figured that I walked the stairs enough), but then Debra-Lynn strong-armed me. And THEN, I found myself walking up four flights every morning from the parking garage, which I never used to do, just to get a good early-morning count. So now I'm still walking up the stairs every morning, and doing it mindfully keeping my weight in my legs, which ensures that my legs are tired and my heart rate is up by the time I hit the third floor. I never would have done that, or discovered "staircase mindfulness", without the program. So thanks! Laurie Haynes. We followed up with another Lunch and Learn to hand out QLT water bottles to everyone that completed the program. Random prizes of knapsacks and free admission to our on-site Pilates, Boxing and Circuit Classes were handed out. Our star recruiter (Debra Lynn May) received a prize of a pair of athletic shoes (shoes were provided by Ladysport Shoe and Clothing Store in Vancouver). The recruiter race was so close; we decided to also provide a prize of a QLT fleece jacket to the runner-up, Valerie Tang. Special mention went to our recruiters Wayne Ho, Darlene McCaw, and Angela Fraser. This is a very worthwhile program. As a health professional, I commend Health Canada for creating this program. It can be applied easily with little disruption to the lives of the employees. The list of benefits of such activity climbs with each new study (no pun intended). The employees quickly realize this is a very effective way of adding some much needed incidental activity to a day. MJ Murphy President Workplace Wellness Solutions Inc. www.wwsca.com I Here is our best recruiter, Debra Lynn May, (on the left) receiving her prize.

Rationale
Already in place

Program
10 storey office building

Obstacles
Starting it! As the saying goes: Just Do It!

Successes
I work at the 10 storey Squires Building in Corner Brook, Newfoundland. It is the tallest building in Newfoundland, outside the capital of St. John's. I have worked here for almost 15 years. While I normally had taken the elevator, I have started using the stairs for over a year now. This started out as simple impatience waiting for the elevator. I "ran" the stairs to my 8th floor office. At the office, I was quite out of breath - but it felt good! After that, I just decided to keep using the stairs, even if I am in a rush. It does get easier and you do feel better. I now take the 8 flights of stairs at least twice a day, and often up to 5-6 times a day (depending on meetings outside the office).

Recommendations
Just do it!

Rationale
I am a stay at home mom with a three year old son. I breastfed my son for two and a half years and enjoyed the benefits of burning excess calories producing breast milk. Nursing a two year old can take a lot out of you. I was hungry all the time and ate lots of food and didn't gain any weight. By the time I started weaning him I had become accustomed to eating a lot of food but I was no longer burning as many calories as I did before when I had more milk. The more I weaned him the more weight I seemed to gain and suddenly I noticed that I was overweight. At first I tried to exercise but I didn't have the freedom to go out jogging during the day or time to travel to the gym. Aerobics in the living room was impossible because my toddler kept running around under my feet and sitting on me when I tried any crunches or pushups. Then I found out about this stairway challenge. My part time job isn't the most ideal place to try to implement the program so I just did it by myself using the stairs in my house. Climbing the stairs is so much more practical for me because it is virtually impossible for my son to get underfoot. He waits for me at the top and on each trip up I give him a hug or a tickle, he thinks it's a fun game to play.

Objectives
I try to make the exercise interesting. I go to this website and look at other challenges from all over the world. I pick one and calculate how many flights of stairs in my house it would take to match that challenge and just do that for awhile. I'm hoping to make a "tour around the world challenge" in my own house.

Obstacles
Sometimes it is very difficult to meet a challenge all at once, especially at the beginning. On the first day of a challenge if it is too much I break it up into parts which I do throughout the day. I do this until eventually i am able to go the whole way at once. It's a great way of seeing your endurance improve without feeling discouraged and overwhelmed.

Successes
I haven't been doing this for very long yet but already I feel more energised, happy, and inspired to eat healthier foods. Also I have noticed a huge improvement in my relationship with my family. I'm not as irritable and I have a lot more patience with my son.

Costs
This challenge hasn't cost me a cent. No gym fees, no equipment, no travel expense.