Health, wellness and fitness outfits of the Virgin Islands have up the ante to encourage persons to engage in better health seeking behaviours this resulted in the initiative of the 10,000 steps per day challenge. This initiative was introduced earlier today September 8, 2014 when the Run/Walk Health Campaign was launched at the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports. Photo: VINO

Being the Chairperson of the Inter-Developmental Technical Working Group, BVI Health and Wellness Council Honourable Archibald C. Christian was present at the launch activities where he alluded to statistics that give testimony to the fact those persons need to take health seeking behaviours more seriously. Photo: VINO

“This programme is extremely simple and as the name suggests, the objective is for every person to motivate themselves to do that amount of walking daily,” said Chairman of the Physical Activity Sub-Committee of the BVI Health and Wellness Council Mr Paul A. Hewlett at the launch. Photo: VINO

This initiative was introduced earlier today September 8, 2014 when the Run/Walk for Health Campaign was launched at the Department of Youth Affairs and Sports.

“The objective of the Run/Walk for Health… is to improve health and reduce non-communicable diseases. Needless to say statistics have shown that the cost to the Territory of the present 35 plus dialysis machine cases is over two million dollars in health care. And should we continue with our present eating habits combined with lack of exercise, these cases will be doubled within the next five years and the cost to the Territory will be astronomical to say the least,” said Chairman of the Physical Activity Sub-Committee of the BVI Health and Wellness Council Mr Paul A. Hewlett at the launch.

Speaking to the new idea of the 10,000 steps per day Mr Hewlett said that this is being promoted as a club. “This programme is extremely simple and as the name suggests, the objective is for every person to motivate themselves to do that amount of walking daily,” he said. “To motivate everyone and help them keep track we have created a WhatsApp chat room for smart phones where we can go in and tell everyone how many steps we achieved for the day,” Hewlett said.

He further explained that there is also a 10'000 step Facebook page where one can post their achievements or post some motivational words. “Our administrator for the site also posts short motivational one liner materials on a regular basis which would take less than 30 seconds to read and could have a great impression on someone’s self-esteem,” he said.

The committee has also gone ahead and purchased over 180 pedometers for individuals who wish to take counting their 10'000 steps daily seriously and may not have the steps app on their cell phone or may not have a phone with the capabilities of downloading such an app. These pedometers will be sold back to the public at cost which will be around $20.

In conjunction with these activities Physical Activity Sub-Committee for the BVI Health and Wellness Council member Mr Olanxo Boynes explained that the Physical Activity Committee (PAC) has issued its second Caribbean Wellness Day Work Place challenge which is due on Friday September 12, 2014 kicking off at 4:30pm.

“The challenge is being used as an opportunity to promote our new Run/Walk initiative along with the 10,000 step club… The RUN/WALK for health culminates at the end of year with a major RUN/WALK for Health event,” he said.

He said that they are hoping to get new walkers and runners to join the initiative along with getting existing walkers/runners and walking clubs to buy into the overall programme.

Being the Chairperson of the Inter-Developmental Technical Working Group, BVI Health and Wellness Council, Honourable Archibald C. Christian was present at the launch activities where he alluded to statistics that give testimony to the fact those persons need to take health seeking behaviours more seriously.

“The VI Run/Walk for Health programme that is being launched here today is a population, community-based initiative which aims at increasing the number of adults ages 25 – 64 year that would engage in more physical activities,” he stressed.