Hey Baylor, get your walking shoes ready! The BCM BeWell program is launching a health campaign Feb. 2 with the goal of encouraging participants to walk their way to good health.

According to the 2014 aggregate report based on BCM biometric screening results, a high percentage of Baylor employees are at risk for unhealthy cholesterol levels, in particular low HDL, or “good,” cholesterol. Exercise is a natural way to raise HDL levels and prevent cardiovascular disease and other conditions.

Participants in the Getaway to Good Health Campaign will be challenged to walk almost 1.5 million steps by Nov. 30, 2015. That’s roughly 656 miles, or the equivalent of walking from the front of main Baylor to Panama City, Fla.

Getaway to Good Health!

The challenge will require participants to track their steps, and each person who joins can get a free Fitbit to help them do just that. To receive the Fitbit, participants must be enrolled in Vitality (the free wellness portal offered by BCM BeWell), then they’ll receive 5,500 Vitality points for joining the challenge – enough to redeem for a Fitbit through the Vitality Mall. Registration for the Getaway to Good Health campaign can be completed closer to the start date on the wellness portal, www.powerofvitality.com.

During the course of the challenge a few other requirements must be met, including completing online courses and reviews on the Vitality portal.

Of course, incentives will be offered as well. Those who make it to the half-way point in the challenge by July 1, which is 790,000 steps – roughly as many as it would take to walk to New Orleans, will receive a Getaway to Good Health T-shirt and some New Orleans swag and will be entered in to a drawing for several great prizes.

Participants who complete the challenge – all 1,476,000 steps by Nov. 30 – will receive more great prizes and will be entered into a drawing for the grand prize – a trip to anywhere in the continental U.S., Panama City, perhaps?

BCM BeWell will have other great opportunities to be involved in healthy activities coming your way as well, including:

• Baylor MS 150 team – The BeWell program will organize a Baylor team to ride in the MS 150 bike race from Houston to Austin to support multiple sclerosis research.
• Biometric Screening – Employees will once again have the opportunity to enroll for on-site biometric screening, which will be held on campus in March and April and then again in September. The screening is being expanded to include not only BMI, cholesterol and glucose levels but also kidney function, liver function and other overall health markers.

Keep your eye out for more information on these events in Baylor’s internal communications and in college emails. Find more information on wellness on the BCM Intranet or by emailing wellness@bcm.edu.