The two winning teams have been announced for the Step-it-Up Challenge. Both were awarded prizes that included a $50 VISA gift card or a Garmin exercise band.

Led by captain Sabrenna Rodgers Lee, the Glorified Praise Steppers garnered the championship by accumulating 1,321 miles. The DKSN Harriers, led by Jessica Barnes Watts, captured second place with 1,286 miles.

Karl Lenser, UALR’s employee wellness coordinator, said the program had 29 teams and almost 200 employees who should all consider themselves winners.

“Stress relief, enhanced physical fitness, blood pressure reduction, weight loss and an overall increase in energy are some of the benefits that occurred due to this program,” he said.

University of Arkansas at Little Rock employees accumulated a total of 26,302 miles during the five-week Step-it-Up Fitness Challenge.

The team-based program is judged on mileage accumulated by walking, jogging, swimming, group exercise classes, cycling and elliptical machine workouts, and daily activities. Each team has five employees.

Lenser said he was pleased with both the number of participants and the excitement and enthusiasm that was generated throughout the program.

“This program was our first large-scale program that we have offered to the faculty and staff, and it was very successful,” Lenser said. “I have received dozens of emails that showed an appreciation for this program and for what is done for the physical and mental and emotional health of almost 200 employees.”

Lenser said the competition provided a spark for many employees to get moving and improve their fitness and reduce their stress.

Jokingly, Lenser noted that within the first week of the program’s launch, participants were greeting him with “Getting my steps in” or “4,600 so far” that replaced the traditional “hello” or “good morning.”

Lenser is currently working on another activity-based program he says will be fun and rewarding for all who participate.

The Step-it-Up Challenge was organized by the UALR Employee Wellness Program.

In the upper right photo, the first place team, Glorified Praise Steppers, from left to right, are: Ben Wilburn, accountant; Rogelia Rodriguez, administrative specialist in Graduate School admissions; Karl Lenser, employee wellness coordinator; Sylvester Cartwright, research assistant in the Office of Institutional Research; Sabrenna Rodgers Lee, director of finance in the College of Social Sciences and Communications; Marie Sandusky, director of health services; and Misty Stukenborg, project administrator in the Graduate School.