Page 72 - HCPVitalityChronicles

Champ Jennifer Morris Encourages Walking Fitness to HCP and Beyond

Jennifer Morris, Business Analyst 3, mentioning company sponsored
HCP Pacific Gateway, arranged the activities. From a running store
first walk for the IS Department at El near her house, Morris picks up a
Dorado Nature Center in Long Beach magazine that lists upcoming walks
in 2012. This was shortly after she and runs, and she includes this in-
had dealt with her own health chal- formation in what she shares with
lenges, and had recently become a teammates.
Vitality champ.
Her involvement as a Vitality
Now these walks take place every champ has been “a complete
Sunday of each month. And while lifestyle change for me,” Morris
plenty of HCP teammates participate Some members of the weekly El Dorado Nature noted. “I’ve got friends walking
each week, the group has grown Center walk. with me for no motivation at all—
even beyond the organization. just to do it.” For one of her friends
who has joined the Nature Center walks,
“In the beginning of the year, some of my Morris used some of her Vitality points to
girlfriends and I made a New Year’s Resolu- purchase a FitBit for her friend, to help
tion to walk every Sunday,” Morris said. keep her motivated.
These friends, as well as Morris’ husband,
are regular members of the walking group. The group started in January, and they
HCP teammates from throughout Southern have witnessed the change of seasons—
California sites also join the four-mile trek, they saw when ducklings were born,
which includes a bike path on which people baby bunnies coming out, the arrival of
can also bring their dog. Canadian geese, and more.
Walkers witnessed the arrival of
During the work week, Morris is no less ac- Canadian geese this year. And word has spread. Morris posts Map-
tive. She and her colleagues walk four days a MyFitness onto her Facebook account for
week for 30 minutes at lunch—and once a week they go the Sunday walks. About a month ago, a good friend of
out for a healthy lunch. hers from high school, who lives in North Carolina, asked
her if she would be walking on Sunday—she was in town
As a Vitality champ, Morris tries to encourage participation and wanted to join the walk. “It was the first time I saw
and physical activity through various methods. She’s very her in 30 years,” Morris happily recalled. “They’re not
proud of the fact that her department reached 70 percent doing it for the points; they just want to walk.”
Vitality Health Review completion in the Got Points chal-
lenge that recently ended (teammates will receive 700 If you are interested in becoming a Vitality champ, please
free Vitality points). And in her newsletter and bulletins re- contact Janet Galli.
garding upcoming Vitality events, she goes beyond just