The success of the WonderFit challenge continues to grow at an unprecedented pace. The four week long competition began on February 11, 2015 and lasted until March 10, 2015. There were lots of changes to the event’s structure this year. Personnel of the School District of Palm Beach County were encouraged to increase their daily physical activity as in past years, however, this year they were provided with more opportunities to record and receive credit for different types of activity.

Rather than filling out logbooks, members were encouraged to snap and submit photos of themselves completing Qualifying Actions, including Exercise Activities, Fitter Choices, and Special Operations for varying levels of credits.

Exercise Activities included any aerobic, strength, or stretching exercise that met the minimum time requirements (30 minutes, 10 minutes, and 10 minutes respectively). These activities were worth two credits, and pictures were to be submitted with the hashtag #active.

Fitter Choices could be anything from taking the stairs rather than the elevator to choosing to park further away than necessary in the parking lot to ensure a longer walk to your destination. These were also worth two credits, and were to be submitted alongside the hashtag #fitter.

Special Operations were the game changers, worth a whopping seven credits. These missions were sent out via email, Benefits Buzz, and Healthchirp and varied from curling full grocery bags to squatting with an armful of encyclopedias. These activities were time-sensitive, and were submitted with the hashtag #specops.

WonderFit was a great success by each measurable standard. Thousands of teachers, administrators, and other personnel from 239 schools and departments earned over 15,000 credits. Ultimately, this indicates WonderFit encouraged more personnel to move more each day. This is a very positive sign from a healthcare cost-mitigation standpoint, and exemplifies another way that the District takes the initiative to become healthier through fun and exciting opportunities to increase physical activity.

Over 3,000 participants collectively reached the following feats:
● Climbed to the top of the Empire State Building more than 41 times.
● Covered more distance on foot than from Key West, Florida to Anchorage, Alaska.
● Made over 1,750 local citizens happy by giving up prime parking spots.
● Completed over 646 Special Operations.

Sandpiper Shores Elementary, champions of the 2014 Wonderfit Challenge, repeated their victory this year, followed closely by Melaleuca Elementary (separated by a mere 5.5 credits). Watch a video indicating their epic struggle to repeat their victory here. This year’s Top Ten MVP’s included Jamie Dreyfus-Landerman, Sarah Zambito, Lynnae Steinberg, Dick Hardman, Molly Mccann, Amanda Jolly, Danielle Symanski, Teresa Gonzalez, Michelle Martinez, and Anna Allahar. Congratulations to this year’s Champions!

WonderFit’s underlying theme is to get personnel members moving more: taking control of their health and forming healthier habits in a fun and competitive way. Ultimately, this is a wonderful method of inviting the community to get moving. As the department strives to inspire employees to take personal responsibility for their health, it is exciting to see people getting fit and feeling wonderful. The event provides a nudge towards a healthier lifestyle, which everyone can benefit from. The 2015 results are inspiring. This 3 year progression validates that the District’s Wellness program is on the right track.

To learn more about the District’s WonderFit program visit http://www.wonderfit.org/