Employees at Virginia Commerce Bank complete 12-week 'Stepitup' fitness program

Virginia Commerce Bank employees recently stepped up their game by completing a company-wide walking program that encouraged fitness and overall wellness. The 12-week fitness program, named "Stepitup," utilized pedometers to track employees' steps and offered incentives for participation and for meeting minimum walking goals.

Beginning in September, 48 teams comprised of 231 employees (over 72% of the organization) began logging daily steps with a minimum goal of 5,500 steps per day, increasing to 8,500 steps per day by the end of the program. At the end of each four-week session, the step goal increased and prizes were awarded to individual participants who met the minimum step goal, while teams were ranked by the total number of steps they collectively tallied.

Meeting the Stepitup goals each day was no walk in the park. Employees reached walking goals through a variety of methods including walking to lunch instead of driving, taking family pets on longer walks, parking farther away at the grocery store, incorporating daily gym workouts, and spending more time being active outside with family members and friends. Some employees participated in local 5K races and community charity walks, combining their enhanced fitness regimen with their community support.

During the three-month Stepitup initiative, VCB's employees walked over 162,160,000 steps (which roughly translates to 1,200 trips around the Capital Beltway), with the winning team collecting nearly twelve million steps among its five members. A ceremony took place on December 15 to honor the top team.

Stepitup was adapted from a similar program offered by UnitedHealthcare. The insurance carrier supported the Bank's fitness initiative with pedometers, advice on implementing the program and prizes. The Bank's insurance broker, Insurance Advantage, provided the Bank with gift cards for monthly prize drawings and participated in the ceremony for the program's winners. The fitness program is just one aspect of an ongoing wellness initiative at the Bank. A different wellness topic — including breast cancer awareness, diabetes education and holiday stress relief tips — is being highlighted each month through a combination of staff presentations, an online newsletter and the distribution of informational collateral materials. Just as the Bank strives to Make the Difference for its customers, it is equally committed to fostering an environment that improves the lives of its employees.