Lincoln County Couch Potato Challenge

Low levels of physical activity, unhealthy nutrition, and poor mental health are all determinants of several chronic diseases. These behaviors are now considered major public health concerns and require effective behaviour change interventions.

The Couch Potato Challenge is a personal goal setting and encouragement campaign to increase physical activity and health awareness in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Building physical activity into the day does not require special equipment or a certain location. The Couch Potato Challenge is a 12 week walking challenge that encourages participants to start walking week 1, 15 minutes, 5 days a week, with 5 minute warm-up, 5 minute brisk walk, and a 5 minute cool down.  Each week the brisk walking time increases by 2 or more minutes helping participants to gradually build their endurance and comfortably walk for 40 minutes a day at the end of the 12-week challenge.

The Lincoln County Family and Consumer Sciences Team analyzed the community needs assessment, FCS program surveys and created an incentive and encouragement program using the Couch Potato Challenge from the University of Kentucky as the educational outreach design.   The team wanted this program to have the opportunity to encourage those who already exercise along with those who need motivation to get started.  

As community participants took part in the Lincoln County Couch Potato Challenge, they received weekly emails and mailings with educational information on walking safely, nutrition, healthy food choices; along with charm incentives to be placed on their shoelaces or keychains to remind them to “Just Keep Moving”.  Weekly radio encouragement announcements, Facebook messages, and live videos helped to encourage not only participants but community members to set personal goals and increase their movement.

The FCS Agent added value to the Couch Potato Program by adding healthy foods, nutrition, recipes and meal planning information to the weekly Movement based Couch Potato Challenge.   An online weekly Check-in evaluation was created through Qualtrics for participants to set weekly personal goals based on the educational information in the newsletter, report successes, and share challenges.  Hard copy forms were also available for those who did not want to use a technology-based evaluation, these were turned into the Extension Office at the end of the Challenge.  All participants were able to pickup a reward and encouragement Goodie Bag at the end of the challenge along with enrolling in The Summer Recipe Challenge which promoted fresh fruits and vegetable consumption, shopping locally, gardening, and Plate It Up KY Proud Recipes which began as the Couch Potato Challenge ended.  This allowed participants to continue working on their healthy food consumption goals.

The Lincoln County Community Couch Potato Challege focused on increasing participant’s participation in regular physical activity, choosing a nutritious diet, and improving health outcomes for Kentucky citizens. Through this program, participants focus on improving health behaviors by making lifestyle choices to increase physical activity and eat nutritious meals. 55 adults participated in this program. As a result of this program, 100 percent became aware of the befits of regular physical activity, 100 percent reported having gained the knowledge and skills to be physically activity, as a result 98 percent reported an increase in physical activity levels, those who were unable to increase physical activity had an injury or health condition that that occurred during the challenge, however they set personal healthy food and beverage goals which they met.

Through evaluations, surveys, and in person conversations, Participants shared:

1. This Challenge is harder than it sounds!  When I began this Challenge, I was not a walker, but I am now!
2. Best week so far. I got in all of my walks without running into any obstacles.
3. A Current walker sat goals to walk with hand weights, they began with 2 pounds, increased to 3 pounds and at the end of the challenge were walking with 5 pound weights
4. I didn't think 2 more minutes would be so hard to do. It was.
5. I don't have as much shortness of breath as I had before.
6. Better breathing
7. Gets easier every day!
8. I Lost weight because of this challenge
9. I have more energy and am sleeping a little better 
10. Many participants shared they were able to walk longer and more often, had an increased endurance, regulated heart rate, regulated breathing, Increase drinking water 
11. Participants sat goals and Created plans to help overcome obstacles:
    1. Walked in new places
    2. Walked in the rain
    3. Walked more often
    4. Creative with movement, yard work, golf, walking around the classroom during testing,
    5. Getting up early to make sure I can walk twice a day
12. Current walkers achieved goals:
    1.  Cutting some calories and drinking more water
    2. Successfully added two days to my walking schedule.

Huge success – I have Walked/ran a 5k in less than an hour!

Huge Success – Couch Potato jump started and motivated me and now 2 months after I finished the challenge I am still moving and have lost 32 pounds!!

Huge Success:   I was able to climb all the steps of the Biltmore on vacation