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Written By: Admin | Updated : October 27, 2012 11:18 AM IST
Corporate India is in very bad shape. Not financially, but physically. A study by the World Heart Federation indicated that 79% men and 83% women are physically inactive. Many of them are also afflicted with obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, stress and a host of other ailments. WHO predicts by 2015 heart disease will be single greatest cause of death in India. Another study suggests that 10% of India's population is affected by heart disease compared to 7% in Europe and 4% in China. A sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits, increased instances of smoking and drinking are all creating a dangerous cocktail for urban India.
Disease | Men | Women |
Overweight | 41% | 45% |
Diabetes | 34% | 37% |
High blood pressure | 33% | 30% |
Stat Source: World Heart Federation
It's often suggested that to stay healthy, one should walk 10,000 steps a day. And that is the basic USP of Stepathlon, a unique initiative to make corporate India more healthy. It is a pedometer based mass participation event where individuals are urged to take 10,000 steps a day. The programme is based on a successful model developed by Ravi Krishnan, former Managing Director of IMG and Shane Bilsorough, an international nutrition and exercise expert. The event will take place over 100 consecutive days (September 20 to December 28) and has already been lapped up by companies like Godrej, Aditya Birla Group, HDFC Bank and Mahindra and Mahindra. And it's not only an Indian event 21,000 professionals from 139 companies across 20 countries are participating. In its first 25 days, the Stepathletes that's what they call themselves have already covered an astounding 3.3 million kilometres.
The pedometer keeps track of how much people move and each day an email is sent as a gentle reminder to walk more! For example, participants are likely to find encouraging emails like 'Next time you're shopping, ensure you see
every floor in the mall' in their inbox at the end of each day. They seem to be working too because from an average of 10,568 steps on Day 1, the count has gone up to 12,897 on Day 36.
Anghrija Chakraborty of Pangea3 says, 'Stepathlon has added that element of zest that I have been missing for quite a while now, and I am so glad that I found it in the most basic of all activities, walking. It is amazing how much these small steps that I am taking each day have made such a huge difference in terms of efficiency, excitement, a healthy balance, etc. I am looking forward to being a 'high-stepper'! The best thing about the whole initiative is it's based on the simplest of physical exercises walking! While jogging and cycling does burn more calories, walking is a more sustainable exercise regime. It can be done without putting too much strain on the body and doesn't require any special equipment.
For more information you can check out the official Stepathlon page.
