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671 employees complete annual wellness challenge

The 2011 wellness challenge inspired employees to exercise regularly and to experience some of Idaho’s Great Exercise Motivating Sites or GEMS.

For the 10-week event, 762 employees participated, with 671 (88 percent) reaching the goal of at least 30 hours of exercise. During the challenge, employees were encouraged to establish or improve their exercise routine and to carry it on throughout the year.

Regular exercise can improve health, reduce stress, decrease preventable diseases and energize employees, explains coordinator Pauline Davis. In the FHWA-ITD competition, Federal Highways Administration tallied an average of 79 exercise hours. ITD won the head-to-head competition with an average of 87 exercise hours.

Headquarters employees recorded a 50.4 percent participation level that included 359 registering and 316 people completing the goal of at least 30 hours of exercise. District 5 followed with 44.8 percent and District 2 with 35.7 percent.

ITD’s six districts accounted for 403 of the total 762 participants and 355 of the 671 who completed the challenge.

District 3 Port of Entry employee Sherill "Tweeter" Allen finished more than 50 hours ahead of her closest competitor (Barb Conklin) in the total number of recorded fitness time. She logged 275 hours, while Conklin was second with 221.5 hours.

The only other employees recording more than 200 hours of exertion were Jim Hoffecker (D-3) with 212.5, Dianna Hoffecker (HQ Materials), 211, and Jake Legler (HQ Bridge), 209.7.

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