‘Stepping Out’ puts walkers on track

Stanford Report, April 7, 2004

'Stepping Out' puts walkers on track

By QUINN EASTMAN

The journey to fitness begins with a few thousand steps. At least that’s what participants in a new Health Improvement Program class learned in a pilot version of the course, “Stepping Out with Stanford.”

Started last quarter, Stepping Out supplies walkers with pedometers to track their walking, literally step by step, throughout the day. Each week, the walkers study weekly step totals on the Stepping Out Web site. In return, they receive weekly e-mail messages coaching them toward gradually increasing their totals.

The program will be rolled out to the entire campus at the end of April.

Sonia Halvorson, associate director of the Health Promotion Resource Center, described the program last week at a seminar at Hoover Pavilion with Julie Anderson of the Health Improvement Program. The two created the pilot version of the class in which 30 walkers joined, double what Halvorson and Anderson had anticipated.

Participants found the face-to-face interaction at the start of the class essential, but also liked the weekly e-mail messages, Halvorson said. Originally conceived to be mostly conducted online, the class organizers now picture the Stepping Out program as providing tools for walkers to start small clubs across campus.

“I found that the pedometer was an excellent motivator and I have doubled the length of my walks while in this program,” said Anne Peterson, who works at the Student Disability Resource Center.

Americans average between 3,000 and 5,000 steps in a routine day. By the end of the class, the Stepping Out group averaged closer to 10,000.

William Haskell, PhD, deputy director of the Stanford Prevention Research Center, urged that a long-term study be done to measure the benefits of incorporating pedometers into wellness programs.

Interested in incorporating pedometers into their programs, Bay Area directors of employee wellness programs from ChevronTexaco, Sun Microsystems and Alameda County, attended the seminar. Sally Twesten of Camino Medical Group told the group about a similar program at her company where “cheerleaders” lead small groups of walking enthusiasts.

The next Health Improvement Program “Stepping Out with Stanford” session begins April 12. The cost is $20. Any departments at Stanford interested in setting up their own pedometer program may contact Sonia Halvorson at halvorso@stanford.edu or 723-7049.