Stepping into 2020: Crushed It! program takes strides to better health

As the new year kicks off, the resolution to be healthier is often a popular choice among Americans, and 2020 offers the ever–promising potential to hold the ideal balance between being fitness oriented and having ample servings of fruits and veggies. For some MUSC employees, 2020 has already involved a larger health focus, and this stride toward wellness is no new idea. Safety and Security’s Crushed it! Steps Challenge is walking department members toward meeting previously unimagined ambitions.

First approaching the idea to engage fellow employees in a health challenge was MUSC security analyst Shannon Ryan. The program, launched in April 2019, has influenced members of Hospital Security to hold each other and themselves more accountable. The goal — to reach a minimum of 10,000 steps during a 24–hour window in order to be entered into the challenge for the day.

Teams are divided into day shift, night shift, evening shift, offsite officers and the department’s senior leadership team. The challenge is available Sunday through Saturday each week. When participants complete their 10,000 steps for the day, they take a photo capturing the evidence and send it over to Ryan. From there, Ryan plugs the numbers into a chart where all individual and team step records are documented. For each day that participants complete the required minimum 10,000 steps in the allotted time frame, they are entered into a lottery. Each Monday during the challenge, a name is drawn, and the winner gets a free lunch ticket. At the end of the month, whichever team accumulated the most steps overall is awarded with a free mindful meal from Sodexo.

For hospital security, walking is often a large component of the job — now they’re looking at walking with an entirely new attitude — a fun competitive health challenge. With a sole focus on accumulating more steps throughout each day, walkers are achieving levels of health that, without the extra push of the challenge, they never thought possible. By taking it one step at a time, participants such as Stanley Luban, Rashad Palmer, Joe Newcomb and Otis Williams attained top spots for walking the most steps in a 24–hour period during 2019.

Newcomb is starting 2020 off 40 pounds lighter because of the influence of this challenge in his day–to–day life and the diligence of his team members, which helped to maintain a healthy level of competition.

“It’s built a camaraderie between all of us and motivated us to really build on each other’s strengths. It’s been fun to have a little friendly competition,” Newcomb said. 

 

So far, Luban leads the pack having walked 41,925 steps in one day.

Luban, coming in first place overall for most steps in one day, with 41,925 and losing approximately 25 pounds for the effort, felt the urge to become more committed to the challenge through this sense of friendly competition. After watching other coworkers take the spot for most steps walked during the first several weeks, Luban decided he was going to beat the record. So, he walked. And walked. One pivotal day in fact, he walked the entirety of the Ravenel Bridge, took the dog out for a stroll and then proceeded to go on another walk that lasted until midnight. This endeavor, comprised of 41,900 steps, took him on an expedition of more than 18 miles in a day’s time and secured his unwavering dedication to beat the record.

“I’m competitive. I wanted to be in the top spot — it’s what motivates me daily. I’m used to it now. I’ve been doing it for months — it’s now habit,” Luban said.

Archie Reid, Safety and Security coordinator, has been involved with sports for many years. With an athletic career that includes a decade of playing basketball for the Air Force, Reid is no newcomer to exercise. However, as age and health has entered the picture, there are limitations to what he can do for exercise, he explained.

“I got a knee replacement, and now it’s not as easy. I want to run, but I can’t run. All I can do is walk. This challenge has really motivated me to walk more,” Reid said.

Despite all odds, the program has inspired a new wave of wellness within the department. Safety and Security’s Crushed it! Steps Challenge has been the starting line for new standards in health among the department and has ignited a deeper commitment to moving in a more advantageous direction as a unit. The demanding number of steps each individual has taken during this challenge has spurred even friends and family members of the participants to move more with them. With 2020 presenting a fresh start to all, Ryan hopes for more members to step out and join the program.