Two years ago, pro football punter Brandon Fields and his wife, Katie, created a kids’ fitness program in Broward County based on a similar program they’d created while living in their native Ohio. The Fields partnered with Broward Health to establish the Broward Health Fields Fit Fest, aimed at showing kids—and by extension, their parents and caregivers—how to fit in 30 to 60 minutes daily of active play in a fun, team-sport setting.
The program has exposed hundreds of kids to the benefits of yoga, obstacle courses, dance, circuit training and other activities. It complements the Fields’ philosophy that being exposed to as many types of physical activity as possible makes kids and adults more likely to find something they love and stick with it on their course to wellness.
Now Brandon and Katie are turning their fitness focus towards adults—specifically, Broward Health employees. The new employee weight-loss program Punt the Pounds is a 10-week, team competition spearheaded by the Wellness Center at Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale and supported by the Fields. Punt the Pounds is just the latest in a long line of wellness-centered programs being offered by Broward Health. The Wellness Center has been at the epicenter of these efforts.
“We’re always looking for new and innovative ways to engage Broward Health employees and in turn create a healthier workforce,” says Cara Boyarin, coordinator at the Broward Health Wellness Center. “We host ongoing smoking cessation courses, fitness boot camps at city parks, Zumba and Yoga classes, active senior classes. It’s so important that we mix things up and provide wellness opportunities that will appeal to as many employees as possible. With a system as large as Broward Health, it’s critical when juggling different work schedules and fitness levels.”
Perhaps a little friendly competition was just what the doctors ordered. Broward Health employees have responded to Punt the Pounds in a big way. “We were just hoping for 100 participants, but have more than 500!” says Boyarin. “I’ve seen teams working out together at the Wellness Center and I’ve seen teams outside the hospital walking together,” Boyarin said. “Whole departments have formed teams.”
To launch Punt the Pounds, Wellness Center staff visited employees at Broward Health facilities for a confidential weigh in at the start of the challenge and will once again when the competition wraps in December. The team and the individual who have successfully punted away the highest percentages of weight will win incredible prizes—everything from NFL game tickets to a two-night staycation.
The teams of five are each offered discounted memberships to the Wellness Center and free fitness classes. They’re getting weekly health tips and encouragement from the Fields and will participate in regular discussions with dietitians, personal trainers and exercise physiologists. The program kicked off in early October with a welcome event hosted by Boyarin’s team and special guests Brandon and Katie Fields and former NFL alum John Offerdahl who not only participated in a spin-class demo with employees but also provided healthy catering from Offerdahl’s Café & Grill in Fort Lauderdale.
“We saw this as an opportunity to complement Broward Health’s commitment to promoting health and wellness among the community and to our patients by focusing on our employee health,” according to Boyarin. “We knew the biggest impact could come from starting with our own—a huge local population of more than 8,000 employees.”
As for the Fields, they’re eager to extend the work they’re doing with the Fields Fit Fest to employees. “Katie and I have worked with Broward Health to bring fitness and health to the community, and we’re excited to support Broward Health employees in achieving their weight loss goals,” says Brandon.
“We are excited to be part of this new weight loss challenge. Although this is a competition, it is not just about the numbers,” said Katie Fields. “This is about changing your lifestyle and making healthier choices. It’s an opportunity to not only lose weight but to improve your quality of your life.”
