Bank helping to promote good health for employees
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Anna-Jonesboro National Bank is making an effort to promote good health by giving their employees a fun challenge to walk more.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Forty-one employees received Fitbits, which are wearable devices that track the number of steps that a person takes.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The challenge started June 1 and continues for eight weeks. The former president of A-J National Bank, David Gould, who is now vice chairman and CEO, presented the challenge.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The employees were given a goal of 60,000 steps within their first two weeks. Their steps increase by 10,000 each week.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“It’s a way to encourage employees to get fit,” said Nina Lofton, an employee at A-J National Bank and facilitator of the challenge.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Some employees have already gone above and beyond their initial 60,000-step goal.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Debbie Newberry walked over 322,000 steps in two weeks.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Newberry is currently going through chemotherapy and walks with her husband.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">“It has helped a lot. I really enjoy it,” Newberry said. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Right behind her in steps is Tammy Stewart. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Other employees are taking the opportunity to walk with their spouses and others have lost up to seven pounds within the first two weeks.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">If the employees meet their goal every week, at the end of the challenge, A-J National Bank is letting their employees keep their Fitbit for free.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">At the end of the two weeks, 93 percent of bank employees met or exceeded their goal. </span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Fitbits are synced online so everyone can check and see their progress.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The Fitbit challenge will end the last week of July.</span></p>