Fitness incentives sought after program killed due to lack of student interest

Humber’s BEE Fit Incentive program was cancelled last year after two decades due to low student participation but the athletics department is currently working on a new initiative to replace it.

“When we ran the BEE Fit program, it was an incentive program that changed yearly as to how we ran it and different things would happen where you would collect points on a chart,” said Leanne Henwood-Adam, fitness co-ordinator and facility manager.

Henwood-Adam said that staff participation was always high, but students did not find the program appealing.

“They weren’t interested in getting things that we were giving – like a t-shirt, stress ball, or a gym bag,” said Henwood-Adam.  “Nowadays, students want more big ticket items like an iPad, iPod, MacBook, or mountain bike.”

The program that was designed to encourage people, especially students, to work out will be restructured to try to accomplish that.

“Our goal now is to try to get student participation but not by giving out prizes,” said Henwood-Adam.  “We want them to get excited about the different things that we’re going to offer, like theme months, workshops and events based around those theme months.”

The range of activities offered by the program may expand in the future, which will be finalized over the summer and advertised in September.

“We might do a rock climbing event or get a bunch of people together and go mountain biking or canoeing somewhere.”

Athletic director Doug Fox helped develop the BEE Fit program about 20 years ago and is now working with Henwood-Adam in the restructuring.

“Unless we’re giving away TVs, the incentive’s not there, so you regenerate and try to go in a new direction to create specialized programs,” Fox said.

Fitness trainer Stephen Jeffrey said getting students to make fitness a high priority means aligning the program with their interests.

“If I had to create a fitness program to encourage students to work out, I would base it around activities they enjoy doing,” said Jeffrey, 22, a second-year fitness and health promotion student.  “I give my clients a choice as to what they want to do.”

Jeffrey added that students are more focused on grades than fitness and this might be one of the reasons as to why the BEE Fit Incentive program failed.

All fitness programs are fully funded by the athletics department.

“It is free to the students because they pay a fee as part of their tuition that comes to athletics,” said Henwood-Adam.

“Students can be assigned a fitness trainer at no cost, who will work with them to achieve their goals,” said Jeffrey.

Athletics department remains dedicated to promoting an active lifestyle to students: “Keep fit, stay in shape, the only winner is a participant,” Fox said.