One hundred and twenty-five University of Queensland Gatton staff took more than 24 million steps in a four-week pedometer-based walking challenge run by UQ Wellness and sponsored by the Gatton Campus.
Walking meetings, not using internal mail and heading out for a walk at lunch were just some of the tactics used by teams to increase their daily steps.
Competing in teams of five, the winners finished with an impressive 1,458,650 steps. Sharon Blums, Andres Ardila, Carissa Reinke, Michael Hall and Kit Parke from the School of Veterinary Science team said they were very pleased with their outcome.
Rebekah Scotney, Debra Laws, Lorraine Hancock, Shirley Reck and Elaine Hanlon were on the team which placed second with a total of 1,424,452 steps.
Mrs Scotney said she found the walking challenge an eye opener: "On days when I have been sitting behind my desk for the most part I now make a point of ensuring I add extra time taking part in outside activities with the kids at home."
"The team aspect was a really great way for people to encourage each other and also provided some healthy 'in-team' competition.
"It was a regular conversation topic with people who didn't participate, which is great as it got people talking about health and wellness!"
Both of the winning teams received Thai cooking classes from Thai and More Cuisine located in the Gatton Bowls Club. A prize was also given to the team that improved the most over the four-week period.
For more information on UQ Wellness initiatives, visit www.uq.edu.au/uqwellness.
