Chinese firm orders staff to walk 10,000 steps a day in fitness drive
Employees in Chongqing warned they may have to do sit-ups if they fail to meet target, newspaper reports
A Chinese company is making employees walk 10,000 steps each day to help improve their health and fitness and has threatened to punish those who fail to reach the target, according to a newspaper report.
The technology company in Chongqing has asked its staff to subscribe to an app that tracks their daily steps and movement, the Chongqing Evening News said.
“Many of our staff sit in an office all day and sometimes they have to work overtime. Some of them, even those at a young age, are already having health issues such as neck and shoulder problems,” an official was quoted as saying at the company, which was not named. “We make walking 10,000 steps compulsory so staff can have a healthier life,” she said.
Anybody who failed to meet the daily target would be asked to do 50 to 100 push-ups, but nobody had been punished so far, the official said.
The initiative would be dropped “when staff members proactively do sports”, she added.
Ten thousand steps amounts to about 10km depending on the length of people’s stride.
One new member of staff told the newspaper he was initially shocked by the programme.
“Why should I be asked to walk as long as I finish my job duties?” he said.
The employee has stopped driving to work and back to increase his exercise rate.
“I felt very exhausted at first, but then I realised it was because my body really needed such training,” he said.
“My colleagues now spend their lunch hours going for walks instead of playing computer games,” he added.