Spring walking challenge

Times Reporter          

 

The spring challenge by the HEAL Our Future coalition (Healthy Eating, Active Living) kicked off on May 6. In the past the challenges have included things like ‘walking’ around Jamaica, or across Canada, but this year the challenge is about seeing how far you can go. 

“This year we have left it to just the most steps that you can walk between now and June 21. We just want to get people out there. Kinsmen Park is paved now so it’s so much better to walk around,” said coalition member Lisa Sader. 

“Rather than having a goal or distance it’s working towards those 10,000 steps a day, which is what people should be trying to get towards.”

Having a way to keep track of your steps is a great way to help keep yourself accountable, and to really see how you are doing on an average day. Sader said sometimes at the end of the day, if she has only taken 5,000 steps she will go for a walk and get her steps up to that 10,000 mark. 

This year HEAL has also switched providers for the tracking site, opting to go through www.UWALK.ca. Every Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. anyone interested is encouraged to meet at the event boards in Kinsmen Park and head for a trek around the lake. 

Last year there were 90 people registered in the challenge, and Sader said HEAL is hoping to see more people join this year. 

In the fall, if enough people register on UWALK, HEAL is looking at a challenge that will be for Strathmore, Chestermere and Langdon. Teams could be set up and they could compete against each other. 

For now, though, the goal is get people out there, active and healthy.  

There will be randomly drawn weekly prizes as well. To find out more or to register go to http://www.healourfuture.com/walking-challenge.html.