Business & Tech
Orangeburg Company Gets Early Start On National Walking Day
National Walking Day is Wednesday
The American Heart Association’s National Walking Day is today, but more than 100 employees of Nice-Pak Products in Orangeburg got an early start when they celebrated by taking a trip around their walking path outside their Orangeburg office building.
“We have a wellness initiative here where we try to help our employees live healthier lives,” said Jon Kupperman, president of Nice-Pak.
He added that the company also offers yoga and zumba classes, as well as Weight Watchers meetings for employees, all of which are free on located on campus. The walking path around their building was opened last year as a way for employees to get some exercise in during the day, and Kupperman said people used it throughout the year.
On National Walking Day, employees are encouraged to take a 30-minute walk during their day. According to the American Heart Association, walking 30 minutes a day can help reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol, as well as the risk of coronary heart disease.
Nice-Pak is also the sponsor for the Tri-County American Heart Association National Walking Day, as well as a participate in the association’s Heart Walk, which is scheduled for May 5 this year at Harriman State Park in Stony Point.
Carolyn Torella, the regional communications director for the American Heart Association, said the association started a walking initiative because walking has the lowest dropout rate of any physical activity.
“More than 80 percent of heart disease can be prevented with simple lifestyle changes, such as walking more, eating healthier and cutting out smoking,” she said.
Another reason they’re targeting companies, Torella said, is because most people spend about eight hours a day in the office sitting at their desks.
“At least in the past people might get up to go to a printer or talk to someone else in the office,” she said. “Now because of email and texting there’s less need to get up. Even if it’s just a quick walk around the office for five, 10 minutes each hour. We’re doing this because we know we can improve the lives of Americans.”
The American Heart Association also has ideas online for how companies get help employees live healthier lives. At the Nice-Pak walk on Tuesday, they gave employees pedometers after they finished walking so they could use it to count their steps on future walks.
