For Heather Ward, post doctoral pathology fellow at the UNM Health Sciences Center, an ugly green bridesmaid’s dress was more than a cliché, it was a motivator. If Ward had to wear an ugly dress, she was going to get fit and look good in it. At the same time Ward was looking for an exercise program, Judith Harris, College of Nursing faculty, started a program called Walk the Talk to help the UNM HSC community start walking toward a healthier lifestyle.
Photo: Heather Ward
Funded by a UNM Wellness Mini Grant, Walk the Talk offered participants a pedometer to track their steps for a full year. Each quarter, individuals and teams would meet to learn everyone’s progress and receive awards.
Ward took Walk the Talk as an opportunity to start walking for her fitness routine. She also invited other colleagues to join her and form a team appropriately named the Ugly Green Dress.
Ward lost a total of 63 pounds during the program. When the wedding took place four months into Walk the Talk, she had lost 43 pounds.
“When I was getting the dress fitted closer to the wedding date, I could see just how much progress I had really made,” said Ward. “It was such a great feeling to see all this material having to be taken in.”
Since the program ended, Ward has continued to walk and do other activities to stay fit.
“I now rock climb with a group and also workout with some friends over at Johnson Gym,” she said. “Walk the Talk showed me that I really like exercising with a group and that it helps me stay successful in my goals.”
Ugly Green Dress won overall team honors and had several individuals recognized for their success. In just the last quarter of the program, Ugly Green Dress walked a total 4,219,587 steps.
“We really did help one another stay motivated,” said Ward. “Someone in our team would tell me how many steps they had already walked that day, and that would get me wanting to get out there and do the same. It was fun to compete with them, but also walk together to unwind from the day’s stresses.”
More than 350 participated in Walk the Talk. Although the program is over, people can still log steps at som.unm.edu.
Media Contact: Lauren Cruse, (505) 272-3690; e-mail: lcruse@salud.unm.edu
Posted by scarr at August 27, 2009 01:36 PM