Ledyard National Bank created the Ledyard Live Well Walking Challenge in an effort to support the heart health and wellness of its employees and the community, while taking steps to become a Fit-Friendly Organization as recognized by the American Heart Association. This was designed to encourage local businesses to engage in a “healthy competition” and, most importantly, reinforce some of the key daily habits that positively impact our health. More than 300 participants from Ledyard, Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital, Hypertherm, and King Arthur Flour kicked off the inaugural Walking Challenge in September.

“It is our goal to have the Ledyard Live Well Walking Challenge become an annual event, and each year have it grow to involve more businesses who want to promote a healthy lifestyle and healthy work environment for their employees,” says Ledyard’s President and CEO Kathy Underwood.

Ledyard’s goal for the four-week challenge was to make the participants aware of how many steps they were taking in a day by encouraging them to wear pedometers (or other tracking devices) whether actively exercising or not. “I have seen so many more employees walking during lunch—including myself!” says Shana Fowler, the Employee Health and Safety Specialist with Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital. This sentiment is echoed throughout each company involved in the initiative.