Take the Stairway to Health

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Take the Stairway to Health
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Developed by Health Canada and the Canadian
Council for Health and Active Living at Work,
Stairway to Health is a new initiative based on
an old concept- taking the stairs. The goal of
this new program is to make taking the stairs the
norm and not the exception by "packaging" stair
climbing in a new way.
What is Stairway to Health?
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For Employees- Canadas Physical Activity
Guide recommends Canadians accumulate 30-60
minutes of moderate daily physical activity-
Climbing just two flights of stairs everyday
could result a loss of 2.7kg or 6lbs per year.
Six flights a day could help you trim nearly
18 lbs. - Adding stairs to your day can add
years to your life. Studies show that risk of
cardiovascular disease and death is lower
among regular Stair climbers. - Taking the
stairs is often faster than waiting for an
elevator during peak usage times. Often for
trips of 7 floors or less, the stairs are the
quickest way to your destination.
Benefits Of Stair Climbing
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For Employees- Active employees are healthier
and more productive employees.- Using the
stairs requires no special skill, equipment or
clothing and it burns twice as many calories as
walking.- Stair climbing is a 'green' activity,
the only energy source used is what is stored
in our bodies.... good for you and the
environment!
Benefits Of Stair Climbing
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For Employers- People spend more than one-half
of their waking lives at work. Therefore, in
order to stay healthy, we need to find ways to
incorporate physical activity into our workday.
- Daily living activities like climbing the
stairs can make a significant contribution to
the 30 minutes of physical activity we all
need...everyday. - Physical activities like
stair climbing are a great way to cope with
job-related stress.
Benefits Of Stair Climbing
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For Employers- Stair climbing is less costly
and more accessible than other employee
wellness programs. - Stair climbing
interventions typically result in a 6- 15
increase in stair use. - Workplaces which
implement stairway physical activity programs
report improved employee relations, camaraderie
and teamwork.
Benefits Of Stair Climbing
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Describe what you plan to do such as the virtual
climb, a charity event, and on-going program,
decorating, retrofitting, signage, etc.
Wherever possible mention consultations with
fellow employees and their interest in the
program. Link your stairway to health
initiative with other existing ones, such as a
corporate challenge or regular fund raiser that
already has corporate support. Include a
critical path with associated deadlines.
The Stairway to Health Initiative
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Describe how you plan to communicate the program
including how you plan to highlight your
employers/companys support for the program.
Provide opportunities for your employer to be
involved such as giving out awards, recognizing
individuals in company newsletters, being
nominated for workplace awards, etc.
Communications
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Outline the costs for the initiative (already
worked through in the costing out and budgeting
template). Emphasize any in-kind contributions
or ways that you plan to use an existing budget
before asking for any new money. Provide the
employer with more than one option and explain
the different outcomes related to each choice-
for instance sending out an email to encourage
stair use will cost very little but will not be
as effective if it is not coupled with point of
choice posters and new paint in the stairwells.
Associated Costs
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List the barriers that need to be overcome and
have a discussion around possible solutions.
Examples could be locked stairwells, gaining
property manager support, cost, etc.
Current Challenges
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Describe the commitment you require from your
employer. Similar to the challenges section you
would list them and then have a discussion.
Examples of the kind of commitment you require
includes their involvement (events, discussions
with property managers, encouraging and
supporting employee participation), finances,
next meeting, etc.
Commitment
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Clearly outline the next steps that need to be
taken to develop your initiative. Use the
critical path as your guide. Examples could
include setting up a meeting with your property
manager, presenting stairway to health during an
all staff meeting, developing a stairway to
health committee, purchasing signage, etc.
Next steps can change during the course of a
meeting so plan to be flexible and add any new
steps during the wrap-up discussion.
Next Steps
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