New faculty, staff fitness challenge kicks off Jan. 10
Employees can earn virtual money and 'Feel Like a Million'
More than 800 faculty and staff have registered for Feel Like a Million, this year's 12-week health and fitness challenge that begins Jan. 10 and ends April 4.Duke employees can continue to sign up for the free health competition that awards virtual money for making healthy choices until Jan. 14."It's a new year, and now's the time to make new, healthy changes to the way we live, " said Julie Joyner, manager of LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke's employee wellness program and sponsor of the competition. "This is the perfect opportunity to start an exercise program or eat more fruits and vegetables. "Faculty and staff can register for Feel Like a Million as an individual or team. Participants accrue virtual money by competing in five areas: "Moving Matters " for daily exercise; "Food to Fuel " for a healthy diet; "Better Balance " for sticking to a schedule; "On Purpose " for keeping an exercise journal and writing a personal statement; and "Potpourri " for getting enough hours of sleep and more.By self-reporting exercise and other actions, participants earn virtual dollars to become a virtual millionaire. To reach a goal of $1 million, participants need to average of about $12,000 a day. Money is accumulated through a variety of actions, such as $5,000 for exercising at least 30 minutes, or $3,000 for getting seven to nine hours of sleep. Participants can get a $100,000 boost at the beginning of the program by completing a personal mission statement.Joyner said the virtual money earned can't be spent on anything but acts as a motivational tool."It's especially convenient because it focuses on broad lifestyle choices, so even if someone doesn't exercise, they can earn money for something easy like getting enough sleep, " she said.Prizes will be awarded to the top three individual and team money earners at the end of Feel Like a Million. Anyone who participates and earns $330,000 each month receives free LIVE FOR LIFE dollars. LIVE FOR LIFE dollars are Monopoly-style money that can be used to buy merchandise at the LIVE FOR LIFE store. Learn more and register at hr.duke.edu/million.