We have had great success getting employees moving with a
walking program at work,
but they don't walk in their leisure time
The goal of taking 10,000 steps in a day is a rough
equivalent to the Surgeon General's recommendation to
accumulate 30 minutes of activity most days of the week. It
should be enough to reduce the risk for disease and help you
lead a longer, healthier life. Workplace walking programs
are great for helping people become aware of how easy it is to
"add steps," especially if a pedometer is used to count stairs
climbed and all walking modes.
Once a person gets home and gets into the routine of kids,
chores, families and well-established habits it is a lot more
difficult to impact the choice to move and take a walk.
Darkness, cold, habit, rain and motivation are not on your
side. We developed the FootPOWR peripheral and its
LOGGING CAPABILITY for a lot
of reasons. One was so that we could attach lots of good
physical activity to time a person is sedentary. WE built FUN
in to the moving equation - and that might make all the
difference. Once your employees choose to move via
Footgaming, they might segue into walking, active sports and
other physical activity. 
Often the leisure choice is computer social media, e-mail,
virtual worlds and casual games. Female casual gamers
were found to play these virtual world and casual games more
frequently and for longer periods of time. 60 percent of all
female casual gamers surveyed indicated that they play
on a daily basis, compared to just 44 percent of men,
and 29 percent of women casual gamers say they play for
ten or more hours per week compared to 22 percent of
men. Women also play for longer stretches, with 43
percent saying their casual games sessions typically
last an hour or more, compared to 31 percent of men.
Leisure walking has some tough competition. The findings were
the result of what the company calls "the largest survey of
players of 'casual' computer/videogames ever conducted," within
which 2,191 PopCap customers answered questions regarding their
casual gaming habits. The survey was conducted in August, 2006
by market research firm Information Solutions Group and carries
a confidence interval of +/- 1.9 percent. According to PopCap, the survey found that casual game
players view the playing of casual games as a more important
leisure time activity than watching television, reading, or
spending time with family and friends.
The survey also revealed some interesting date concerning
gameplay habits as well, with most (51 percent) indicating that
they play casual games during weekday
evenings. A slightly smaller percentage (47 percent),
noted that they play casual games "late at night before going
to bed," and 35 percent commented that weekends were their
preferred time to play. Only 11 percent responded that they
play during work hours.
Also worth noting, 77 percent of those surveyed responded that
they have been playing casual games for at least three years,
while 49 percent indicated five years or more. 21 percent said
they've been playing for 10 or more years, essentially since
casual games first became available for download.
More than half (57 percent) of all respondents indicated they
play casual games on a daily basis, while an overpowering 90
percent said they play twice or more per week.
Similarly, 52 percent stated that they play casual
games for at least five hours per week, and 29 percent
indicated that they play for ten or more hours each
week.
