At Balfour Beatty Construction, we encourage healthy behaviors. Our Health and Wellness Committees (one in every office) subsidize on-site health screenings and inoculations for employees and their families, promote quarterly “Biggest Losers” weight competitions, and sponsor employee sports teams, among many other activities aimed at championing work/life balance and good health. Here’s an excellent example:
Global Corporate Challenge
In 2011, Balfour Beatty Construction is sponsoring nearly 300 employees from across the United States to participate in the Global Corporate Challenge – a worldwide event that challenges individuals to walk more than 10,000 steps per day, a proven method for reducing chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Each participant is part of a seven-person team, and teammates encourage each other to achieve their daily goal. From May 19 through September 5, Balfour Beatty employees are recording their daily activity levels on the Global Corporate Challenge website. This activity is converted to an overall distance, and progress is plotted along a virtual tour of the world.
“I recently broke the one million mile step milestone,” reports Jim Briggs, project manager and member of the team at the Walter Reed Military Medical Center project in Bethesda, MD. He also says his health has improved. “I feel better – I’ve dropped 2% body fat and 10 pounds. I can now run longer distances, despite my old knee injuries.”
How to reach 10K a day
The following are tips from some of our top Balfour Beatty Construction teams for achieving 10,000 steps a day:
“I have a good routine of swimming, biking, and running, in addition to walking with the pedometer. During this challenge, I competed in the swim around Key West, and that was a good step count day!”
Mike Blount, Vice President of Operations
Federal Acquisition SWAT Team
“I mow the grass a lot.”
Billy Bryan, Director of Operations
Federal Acquisition SWAT Team
“I'm averaging just over 17,000 steps per day. I do a lot of walking around the jobsite, and I try to run to and from work 2-3 days per week, which is more than 10,000 steps each way.”
Jon Johnson, Assistant Superintendent
Walter Reed
“I do things that require me to be more active during a typical day, such as parking in the far corner of the garage, taking the stairs between floors while in the office, and walking around while I’m on the phone or at airports.”
Doug Jones, CEO, South Central Region
Fox Trots
“To get my 10,000, I walk to and from work. At some point in the day, I take a break and walk the stairs from the 6th floor up to the 41st floor and then back down to street level.”
Jonathan McDonald, Assistant Manager, Ip
Federal Acquisition SWAT Team
“I walk up and down the stairs during lunch instead of taking elevator, walk to the grocery store instead of driving for a few items, walk the dog, and spend more time at the gym.”
Elizabeth Murray, Communications Coordinator
Bunions