24 Programs, 20,092 Participants, One Healthy Duke
How LIVE FOR LIFE is reshaping routines and inspiring employees to move more and feel better
24 Programs, 20,092 Participants, One Healthy Duke
How LIVE FOR LIFE is reshaping routines and inspiring employees to move more and feel better
Francesco Ria doesn’t remember how he first heard about Duke’s employee wellness program, LIVE FOR LIFE. Maybe it was an email. Or maybe someone mentioned it in the office where he works as a Duke Assistant Professor of Radiology and Medical Physicist.
Ria just knows that he signed up for a LIVE FOR LIFE fitness challenge not long after he began at Duke a decade ago and now the programs are a regular part of his routine.
24 Programs, 20,092 Participants, One Healthy Duke
How LIVE FOR LIFE is reshaping routines and inspiring employees to move more and feel better
He joins the Duke Run/Walk Club each spring and fall to stay on track for marathon training throughout the year. The Get Moving Challenge each January provides friendly competition with colleagues. And mini challenges like “Around the World” and “Fit in 15”motivate him year-round.
“I like the perspective that Duke is giving to these things: Take care of yourself, and we care about your health,” Ria said.
The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates almost 90% of large employers in the United States have some type of employee wellness program. But their success in improving employee health and well-being through engagement is mixed.
Since Duke launched LIVE FOR LIFE in 1989 to encourage staff and faculty to build healthy habits and support their physical and mental well-being, participation has grown to include 20,092 staff and faculty – nearly half of the workforce – taking part in 24 programs or services offered in the past year. That’s a number that has grown steadily since LIVE FOR LIFE returned to its full slate of programming following a COVID-19 hiatus.
“It’s been exciting to see our Duke community embracing well-being in new and meaningful ways,” said Julie Joyner, LIVE FOR LIFE Senior Program Manager. “Duke is truly building a culture of health, and we’re proud to be part of a community committed to making Duke a healthier place for everyone.”
Here’s how Duke community members have engaged with some of the employee wellness programming in the past year.
Number of participants in the “2025 Around the World Challenge,” where employees logged activity equal to climbing the steps of the Eiffel Tower and walking the distance around Nantucket Island.
1,366
54%
Increase in Duke Run/Walk Club participation since Fall 2018. The club meets in-person twice weekly each spring and fall, with an option to participate independently.
Participants who received health coaching and nutrition consulting. Health coaching participants learn how to improve nutrition, add exercise habits, and manage stress and weight. Nutrition consults offer guidance on healthy eating and nutrition topics.
931
2,948
Views of Mindful Moment and Mindful Movement, two 15-minute weekly Zoom sessions aimed at teaching mindfulness techniques to reframe a day.
Virtual Wellness
Lauren Johns wishes more people at Duke Raleigh Hospital knew they don’t need to travel to Durham’s campus to participate in employee wellness programs.
Johns, Program Manager for Duke Health’s Caring For Each Other, participates in LIVE FOR LIFE programs remotely, tuning in to live webinars and is a big fan of hopping on 15-minute virtual Mindful Moment or Mindful Movement sessions each week. She can pop on a tai chi recording whenever she has time, becoming part of the 55% of LIVE FOR LIVE programming that occurs remotely.
“If you’re stressed out or having a hard day or a rough morning, all it takes is just a quick, few minutes to reframe your mind, restart, refresh and re-energize,” Johns said. “The convenience of it is so helpful.”
Fitness consultations that help employees set goals and design personalized exercise programs.
232
Fitness Consultations
In 2025, Nary Sokanni Berry, an Application Analyst with Duke Health Technology Solutions, decided to get healthier and stronger. With guidance from her LIVE FOR LIFE health coach, she had a fitness consultation.
Consultations are offered virtually and in person, in three variations: goalsetting, fitness testing and body composition.
Berry met virtually with a specialist, who recommended an exercise routine with individualized modifications that included using a stretch band in place of bodyweight exercises that put strain on her shoulder. YouTube videos explained each of the prescriptive exercises and kept her committed to her new routine.
“So far, so good,” Berry said. “I’ve been doing very well.”
5,252
Participants in Duke Fitness Club, which offers discounted membership rates to 16 fitness facilities throughout North Carolina.
Total participants in 2025 Get Moving Challenge, Duke’s annual wellness competition where individuals and teams compete by logging steps and exercise minutes.
2,663
4,474
No-charge health assessments provided to staff and faculty that include total cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose and BMI.
Number of Pets at Duke visits with three therapy dogs who meet with Duke staff and faculty for monthly open sessions and departmental requests.
2,409
8,965
Staff and faculty who visited the 2025 Duke Farmers Market, held April through October. The market offers fresh produce and local goods on campus, along with food trucks, live music, art activities and community.
It’s a nice way to break up the routine of the work week and see colleagues from different parts of Duke...It also helps me to be more aware of our local vendors and be more conscious of my diet and seasonal produce.
Uyen Nguyen, Electronic Resources & Discovery Librarian for Duke Medical Center Library & Archives