作者:Harry Minium
The pandemic wasn't good for the physical or mental health of millions of Americans. 我们在室内的时间要长得多, 经常在家工作, ordered more delivery food than ever and didn't work out because gyms were closed.
An American Psychological Association study found that 61% of Americans reported gaining an average of 29 pounds since March 2020. Other studies found that depression and anxiety also increased among all age groups during the pandemic.
Now that most facilities in America have reopened, one of the best ways to help both your physical and mental health is to get out of your office and homes and walk outside.
最靠谱的网赌软件's human resources department is endeavoring to make that easier for faculty, 学生, 工作人员, 校友, the military community and residents from the nearby Lamberts Point, Larchmont and Highland Park neighborhoods.
With the blessing of September Sanderlin, 人力资源副总裁, 金管家, JaRenae Whitehead and Brenda 约翰逊 have led an effort to create at least three walking trails around campus.
最终, thanks to John Hasher and Chad Peevy from ODU's facilities and grounds management, all the trails will be marked with signs.
They are calling it the Monarch 健康 Trail Program. Twice a month, human resources will sponsor three group walks a day - at 7 a.m.中午和下午5点.m. 理论是在工作之前, during the lunch hour and right after work are the most convenient times for ODU employees to get out of the office and walk off some calories.
They have dubbed the group walks "Monarchs in Motion."
约65名ODU员工, family members and the Monarch spirit squad participated in the first walk on Sept. 10. 一般, the walks will be held on the 10th and 25th of each month, 除非约会是在周末.
约翰逊, assistant director of human resources for benefit services, has wanted ODU to have walking trails for years. 她说巴特勒, 福利管理员, put together an application in a few days that led to a $2,由Town-N-Gown资助.
Town-N-Gown is an independent association that has a grant system designed to help develop mutual understanding between ODU and the region's civilian and military communities.
The $2,000 will be used to mark the trails with signs. The organizers aim to have three walking trails marked by the end of the fall semester. Butler said officials at ODU's Virginia Beach campus have also expressed interest in setting up a trail.
The first trail extends 7/10 of a mile around S.B. 巴拉德体育场. The two others will extend about 1 to 1.5英里.
"We hope to get people moving," Butler said. "This is all about wellness and bringing the campus community together, as well as the surrounding communities. We want everyone to be included, including our military community."
They hope to eventually distribute trail maps and have QR codes that will allow walkers to access a map with a cell phone.
Studies show that organizations with wellness programs have healthier, 更快乐、更有效率的员工.
"This is going to help people with stress relief,怀特黑德说, an assistant vice president for human resources. "Getting outside the building and walking is good for you. And being able to do that with a group we hope will entice people to do it."
"It's just a good way to get people moving and exercising," 约翰逊 added. "I'm one of those people who needs to walk. 我一直在努力激励自己."
Butler said that she and others have cautioned people to start slowly.
"We're trying to keep the trails manageable and reasonable, especially if this is the first time for someone getting out,她说. "The more experienced walkers, they can get out and walk a trail as many times as they would like."
Among the 65 walkers on that first day were members of the military, 校友, 员工和学生, 这还只是巴特勒家的事. 她的父亲, 艾伦•莫泽, is a retired Navy captain; her mother-in-law, 克里斯汀·巴特勒, graduated from ODU in 1973 and her husband, 小布鲁斯·巴特勒., graduated in 1996 while son Bruce Butler III is a senior.
"We've done this in an intentional way so that we don't miss any part of our population,约翰逊说. "And Kim's family certainly represented that."
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