March 29, 2021
3 Million Steps Challenge designed to inspire healthy lifestyles in response to pandemic restrictions.
Industrial Security Operations (ISO) employees have walked a total of 15 million steps in February as part of an exercise competition organized by the Industrial Security Operations Academy (ISOA).
Abdullah A. Al Ghamdi, general manager of ISO, said the “ISO 3 Million Steps Challenge” was designed to inspire healthy lifestyles in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent restrictions.
This competition was designed to encourage employees to take on the habit of walking, to help improve their well-being and enrich their lives.
— Abdullah A. Al Ghamdi
Participants downloaded a mobile application that measured the number of steps they took each day. They walked in their free time at locations of their own choosing.
Organizers limited teams to five employees in each of the ISO’s departments. Once the winning team crossed the 3-million step threshold, the competition finished. The top team and the first five employees with the most steps were awarded prizes.
Go big or go home
Saeed Al Moudadi, a search technician with the K-9 Unit, won first place in the individual category with 836,041 steps — around 635 kilometers — in just 15 days; not surprising for someone whose favorite sports quote is, “Go big, or go home.”
Al Moudadi saw the competition as a good way to keep active, given that gyms were closed. “The group was a good motivation to check how everybody was doing. How many steps they have done. So, I can do more,” he said.
Adel F. Al Wuhaib, manager of the Industrial Security Support Department (ISSD), said, “We wanted to continue to promote an active lifestyle, particularly in these stressful times.
“Technology can be used creatively to host a competition, which is a great way to cultivate healthy lifestyle habits,” he said.
Finding the time
Lynn H. Alruwaili, a planner with ISSD, said that the competition provided an opportunity for people to focus on their health and fitness goals.
“The hardest part isn’t doing the steps, it’s finding the time to do them,” she said.
Malak A. Alazmi, also from ISSD, said her favorite part of the competition was receiving the notification from the application about achieving her set daily goal.
Waleed I. Al Rebdi, superintendent of the Industrial Security Training Division, said, “This remote competition presents an opportunity to develop a new engagement channel with ISO personnel to efficiently promote fitness and health.”
The organizers, the academy’s physical fitness team, and departmental fitness trainers all say they have received “phenomenal” feedback from the participants.
“The competition nudged people to use technology and form a community to adopt a healthy lifestyle,” the organizers said.