Hustonville Elementary Healthy Body Challenge Success Story

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 behavior 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.

As an innovative strategy to improve and increase movement in Lincoln County Families, the Family and Consumer Sciences Agent partnered with the Hustonville Elementary School Family Resource Center Coordinator and the Hustonville 21^st Century Afterschool program to implement a Family Based Couch Potato Challenge.  This mirrored the Community Couch Potato Challenge with 75 families receiving weekly Hustonville Elementary Family Walking Challenge Newsletters.  Along with the newsletters, the Family Resource Center and the FCS Extension Agent held a series of 4 hands on and interactive classes focusing on making Healthy Choices including foods, nutrition, and physical activity promotion with a Hustonville Elementary Healthy Body Challenge during the 21^st Century Program. 

Hustonville participants had the opportunity to earn charm incentives and beads to be placed on their shoelaces, necklace, or keychains to remind them to Make Healthy Choices.  The Charms included the MyPlate food groups, colorful beads, feet, sneakers, and more.  Students had to showcase their knowledge of MyPlate and Physical Activity in order to earn the charms.  The program began with 75 students and families, with the progression of the school year and different sports and after school activities, 45 students were recognized as Hustonville Elementary Healthy Body Challenge completers and 45 families were rewarded with Completing the Couch Potato Challenge.  Positive feedback was given from all parties involved.   

45 students completed the Hustonville Elementary Healthy Body Challenge.  As a result of this program, 100 percent became aware of the benefits of regular physical activity, 100 percent reported having gained the knowledge and skills to be physically activity, as a result 100 percent reported an increase in physical activity levels.