Step Challenge - Bay to Breakers!

Step challenge

Ok, this time we are ON!

The Rules:

Every day you want to track the total number of steps you have taken that day.

You want to add up every day and divided by 7 to know the average number of steps you've taken each day.

You can also follow the Step Challenge 2011 on Facebook!

When you come to your meeting, we want to hear all about it!!

Bay to Breakers

I'm also planning on walking Bay to Breakers. If you want to come and join the fun, we'll be meeting somewhere downtown (TBD), walking (and people watching!) together.

Costumes? That could be fun!

Pedometer Challenge!

How about a challenge?

Starting on your meeting day, keep track of your steps every day. When you come back to your meeting next week, we can report how many steps we did all week.

Who's in? I'm putting on my pedometer right now. HA!

Feel free to report in the comments (just below this post) during the week.

Walking Power!

When talking activity, we always seem to want to think big and complicated. It doesn’t have to be. Walking is one of the simplest, easiest activities we can come up with, and it’s incredibly healthy!

Here’s what the expert at the Mayo Clinic had to say about walking:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/walking/HQ01612

Weight Watchers Etools has information and a walking plan for you:

http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=52191&sc=3039

You don’t need much to walk: layered clothes (it’s San Francisco!), a good pair of comfortable shoes and that’s about it.

Another nifty tool for the walkers is a pedometer. Here’s a few words from selfgrowth.com about using a pedometer:

One simple device that has been developed to keep track of the steps we take everyday is the pedometer. Compared to otherfitness equipment that require vast amounts of space, the pedometer is a cheap, clip-on electronic device that you attach to your belt on your waist/hip area so you can measure your daily steps.

This might be a lowly device that do nothing else but record the steps you take, but research has proven that it actually has immense benefits. For starters, studies have shown that those who wear pedometers were actually more motivated to keep moving. Previously sedentary individuals who where given a pedometer to measure their daily steps, were encouraged to become more active and as a result reported more energy and vigor in their daily activities.

Another huge benefit derived from the pedometer is that it motivates individuals to achieve their goals because it makes them measurable. If a person knew that his usual number of steps in a day is only a thousand and if he sets to achieve two thousand steps in two weeks, he can measure his success consistently on a daily basis because of the pedometer.

Finally, because you can take a pedometer with you, it also plays a vital role in revealing your current fitness level. As a result, you become motivated to walk if only to increase your stamina, get rid of stress and be able to keep up with your energetic toddler.

How about that? Of course, the Weight Watchers Pedometer does more than merely count your steps, it counts distance, Activity PointsPlus, and can be set for an aerobic walk, or all day mode.

Any activity that gets you moving is good activity. Walking is easy, low tech, low gear, and incredibly healthy. Get walking!!

January, time to reset our routine!

Now that the parties are over, it’s time to set our routine back on its wheels. It’s the perfect time to take a good look at your activity routine and see where you want it to go.

How is your routine working for you? Are you working out enough? Does it work with your schedule? Is it still fun? Do you need to add duration? Intensity?

Think in term of building a routine that will work long term. It has to be realistic, motivating, effective, but most of all it has to be fun!

If you are just getting started, look here for all sorts of articles, tips and tricks to get started:

http://www.weightwatchers.com/fitbegin/

If you are looking into trying weight lifting, here’s what is still the best weight lifting website for women (there are plenty all over the net for guys, but very few for women!)

http://www.stumptuous.com/

Note: Miss Krista is very irreverent, if you are easily offended you might want to close your eyes to read her website (HA!) but her advices, ideas, demos are fabulous!

It doesn’t matter if you are just getting started, or if you are training for your 15th race. Take a step back, think about what you are doing already, think of how you can improve, make a plan, and GO!

Finish this sentence with your own Activity Winning Outcome:

This week, to get my activity routine on track I will ______________________________________

Take time to think about it, summer with its short and its swimsuits isn't that far away!