4 Teams

12 Weeks

of 10 Participants

 

Wellness Challenge

The Total Health Challenge is a competition between 4 companies and their trainers to see who can make the most change towards wellness in a 12 week period.

The Austin Total Health Challenge is a health and fitness contest meant to inspire healthy living city-wide by engaging teams of co-workers to compete for most weight-loss and health improvement in twelve weeks.

Organized by wellness coach and physical trainer Elizabeth Sherman, the idea for The Challenge is a way for Austin workers, businesses and health professionals to come together to promote a healthy start to the New Year.

Net proceeds from this event will go to a charity which supports the same goals.

How it Works

There are four (4) corporate teams of ten (10) participants each. Although the participants on each team will be employed from the same company, each team will represent a different Austin company. Each corporate team will choose from a selection of trainers, first come, first serve. Each team will receive 12 weeks of wellness/self care education, 8 weeks of physical training and monitoring with their trainers, and 8 weeks of use of the Bodybugg.

Through the course of the competition, participants will compete with their teams in three (3) different competitions against the other teams. Proceeds go to help the People’s Community Clinic.

The Goals of the Challenge

  • Promote a healthy start to 2009 in Central Texas
  • Inspire participants and the community to get in-shape
  • Engage the community through sponsorship and participation
  • Educate corporations about the benefits of employee health
  • Create team-building opportunities for employers
  • Benefit charities who’s mission will be helped through the promotion of healthy living

The Charity

People’s Community Clinic (PCC) is a unique Austin institution and one of the longest-running independent clinics for primary care in America. Founded in 1970 by a group of volunteer doctors and nurses, People's Community Clinic is Austin's only independent clinic offering comprehensive health and wellness care to improve the health of our uninsured neighbors. The Clinic has been locally managed for 36 years, and is nonprofit and privately funded. All services are offered on a sliding scale basis.

The Clinic's history is a reflection of Austin's-- from hippies to households. It was founded as People's Free Clinic in 1970 in the basement of the Congregational Church on Guadalupe across from the UT campus, by a handful of visionary volunteer doctors and nurses. Initially, the Clinic served mostly college students and part-time workers, but today, the demand for affordable primary care is much greater. The Clinic's 80 medical and administrative personnel, and many volunteers, are dedicated to improving the health of an increasing number of working Central Texas families.

Right now, 11,000 patients call People's Community Clinic their medical home. The Clinic is a true safety net for Central Texas' uninsured and medically underserved. People's Community Clinic offers a greater variety of health and wellness services than any other not-for-profit clinic in Austin, services ranging from prenatal through eldercare.

When

  • Start Date: January 7, 2009
  • End Date: April 4, 2009

Winning

Participants will compete as a team to win individual competitions as well as the overall challenge. Individual competitions will have no direct impact on the overall challenge: meaning, that winning an individual challenge by itself does not give extra “points” to the team at the completion of the challenge. However, winners of a competition may receive prizes that could contribute positively to the outcome of the challenge.

Participants

Participants will be chosen based on the following criteria

  • Wanting to achieve better wellness in his/her life.
  • Above Normal Body Fat Levels (>24% for women, > 17% for men) and/or
  • Above Normal Blood Pressure
  • Must be have physician’s release to participate in program

Agree to the following guidelines of the program:

  • Will track their calorie burn and consumption with the aid of a Bodybugg Calorie Monitoring Device.
  • Will attend 12 weeks (1 hour weekly) of Wellness Seminars presented by Total Health by Elizabeth.
  • Will participate in 3 challenges between the 4 teams (dates TBD).
  • Will attend designated workouts with their trainers 3x per week.
  • Be willing to speak to media about experience, as well as be photographed for before and after pictures for use by sponsors & participating trainers

Measurements

Participants will be measured before and after the challenge is complete. Participants will be measured in the following areas of health:

  • Weight
  • Body Fat
  • Cholesterol
  • Blood Pressure
  • VO2 Max
  • Strength Tests
    • Pushup
    • Step
    • Flexibility
    • Crunches
    • Squats

Competitions:

Throughout the 12 week challenge, teams will work together to get healthier. The

Grocery Store

Participants will receive a question such as:

Which item below has the fewest calories per serving?

1.     Raisins

2.     Skinny Cow Ice-cream Sandwich

3.     Fig Newtons

The participant will then find the item as quickly in the store, and return to the starting line with product in hand. Once the participant returns, the next participant on his/her team may receive his/her question.

Producing an incorrect item will result in a time penalty TBD.

The first team to correctly produce the products in the shortest amount of time wins the contest.

Obstacle Course

Current Ideas

  • McKinney Roughs Nature Preserve
  • Austin Police Obstacle Course

5k Race

Race TBD

The team who completes the race with the shortest cumulative total time wins the contest.

Fitness Professionals

6 fitness professionals will be asked to participate in the challenge, although only 4 trainers will be chosen to participate by each of the company teams. The trainers will be chosen based on their diversity in the fitness field. The trainers may have backgrounds from the following methodologies:

  • Running Group
  • Rowing
  • Boxing
  • Mixed Martial Arts
  • Self Defense
  • Cross Fit
  • Cycling Group
  • Personal Training
  • Outdoor Bootcamp
  • Indoor Bootcamp

The winning fitness professional will receive a cash and prize award of value TBD.

Sponsorship:

Contact:

Elizabeth Sherman

512.789.0094

eliz@elizabethsherman.com

www.elizabethsherman.com