ECU make strides on Million Step March

Pedometers, jump ropes and two smoothie-making stationary bicycles got several hundred East Carolina University employees moving May 21 as part a statewide Million Step March.

The wellness event, part of BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina’s statewide effort to get more people physically active on National Employee Health and Fitness Day, got employees into their sneakers and making strides across campus. The insurance provider is hosting a 600-mile walking campaign that kicked off April 1 in Asheville and will end later this month in Wilmington.

“We’re working hard to create a culture of wellness in the Greenville area; not only for ECU employees but throughout the community,” ECU Chancellor Steve Ballard said. “We are all personally responsible for our health: physical, mental and spiritual. These are all related and it’s rare you find one without the other two. Fitness at ECU is part of our culture of responsibility. I ask all of you to get involved, because it does make a difference.”

Held at ECU’s Student Recreation Center, the event drew from the expertise of ECU nutritionists and wellness experts, providing employees with blood pressure and BMI screenings; group fitness classes; and healthy treats. A healthy cooking demonstration was offered, as well as a few dozen jump ropes and hula hoops.

More than 6,000 North Carolinians have joined the Million Step March, logging in more than 400 million steps on the web site, www.BetterHealthNC.com.

“We’ve walked all the way from Asheville to show that anyone can start a healthy habit, one step at a time,” said Kathy Higgins, vice president of Community Relations at Blue Cross Blue Shield, who, along with spokesman Gary Marino, has walked more than 400 miles. “You should be proud of where you live and the people who surround you.”

The event was organized in coordination with ECU’s Advisory Council Team for Wellness Education Leadership (ACT-WEL).