Where Are They Now?

Marketing Communications Representative Larry Weingarten (Milwaukee, WI) first shared his story with us years ago. Back then, he was a cycling enthusiast participating in the National Bike Challenge, a program that encourages biking for transportation and recreation. We checked in on him this month to see if he’s still spinning his wheels.
 

Larry is still riding. He’s happy to see that bicycle commuting is now more high profile at Rockwell Automation. The recreation department at his location even organized a couple of ride-alongs last spring and fall. They promoted routes and places to meet, and asked established riders like Larry to serve as mentors to new cyclists.

“It gave us a chance to enjoy camaraderie as bicycle commuters,” said Larry. “I appreciate the fact that Rockwell Automation does all of this to promote cycling to work. It’s evidence the company is interested in employee health and the environment.”

When the winter weather was too bad for riding, Larry continued with onsite fitness classes to maintain his activity level. Those lunchtime classes are part of his regular routine most days. “I’ve tried them all—even Zumba,” Larry said. “It’s another very appealing part of working here.”

Larry also took advantage of fitness assessments from the onsite fitness coordinator. “I’ve lost 20 pounds since she started checking my fitness levels,” he noted, adding that his heart rate and flexibility improved and his body fat percentage is down, too. “For me, the best part has been the opportunity to integrate activities to improve my fitness into both my commute and lunch break. It’s been enjoyable, helped with stress and made me more productive at my job.”

Photo: Larry Weingarten rides a bender bike (a bicycle-powered blender) during onsite event.

 

Your Turn!

We love hearing about your health and fitness journey. Other employees do, too. So tell us what you’re doing to stay active, eat better or relax more, how it’s made a difference for you and what Health Management programs you used along the way.