Hospitals in Action >> Case Examples

REEDSBURG AREA MEDICAL CENTER– Reedsburg , Wisconsin
Feelin’ Good Mileage Club Program

What is it?
Feelin’ Good Mileage Club is a fitness program that successfully motivates young people to get fit and stay in shape through exercise. The program is simple. Several times each week at recess, elementary students walk on a designated track on the school playground. A volunteer or playground supervisor marks children’s Mile Marker cards each time they complete a lap on the course, and rewards are given at various mileage goals. Reedsburg Area Medical Center pays for and provides all of the materials, incentives, and awards to help make this program successful and keep it motivating to students. Shoelaces, toe tokens (brightly colored plastic tokens worn on shoelaces), certificates, and posters to celebrate the children’s accomplishments within the school and at home all help kids keep moving and are provided by the Medical Center to the schools. 

Who is it for?
Students in area elementary schools, grades K-5.

Why do they do it?
Childhood obesity and lack of physical activity is an issue facing many communities. While getting fit, children in the program also learn responsibility, mathematics (counting fractions of miles in laps), goal setting, record-keeping skills, and self-esteem building. Best of all, this happens while the child builds muscles, burns calories, burns off excess energy, reduces stress, and learns good lifetime habits. 

Impact: About 850 children are currently participating in the program, and 3,400 children have been involved in the program since its inception. Feelin’ Good Mileage Club is up and running in five of the Reedsburg and surrounding elementary schools and continues to grow and expand. In fact, the enthusiasm generated from this program has expanded into requests for an adult program for school staff. 

Contact: Jodie Molitor
Marketing Assistant
Telephone: 608-768-6245
E-mail: cweihing@ramchealth.org