Walking Challenge

[cooran]

Hello all,

The State Health Department where I work encourages Staff to form teams each year to complete the 10,000 Steps Challenge. My workplace has formed such a team and within a few weeks we'll be armed with pedometers and performance logs and be competing with dozens of other teams throughout the State. Of course, we don't expect to win ~ just to survive until the end of the target period. It'll be interesting to see just how far 10,000 steps per day is, and how much fitter we may end up, and whether we lose weight. It is fun being in a group, builds camaraderie - even if the actual walking may be done individually - for instance, I walk four to five kilometres after work through parks near my home, whereas others in the team go to the local gym and use the machines to top up their daily total.
http://www.10000steps.org.au/library/about-us/

Anyone else done anything similar?

metta
Chris

[retrofuturist]

Greetings Cooran,

I have done the 10,000 steps challenge before.

I find that walking during my lunchbreak helps.

Most lunchtimes I aim to catch a tram to a Buddhist centre in town, grab 30 mins of meditation, and then walk back, often trying to follow the instructions to Bahiya as I walk...

In reference to the seen, there will be only the seen. In reference to the heard, only the heard. In reference to the sensed, only the sensed. In reference to the cognized, only the cognized. That is how you should train yourself. When for you there will be only the seen in reference to the seen, only the heard in reference to the heard, only the sensed in reference to the sensed, only the cognized in reference to the cognized, then, Bahiya, there is no you in terms of that. When there is no you in terms of that, there is no you there. When there is no you there, you are neither here nor yonder nor between the two. This, just this, is the end of stress.

I find that on weekdays that if I don't walk at lunchtime, I'll barely walk at all.

On weekends I do a fair bit of walking even if it's just pottering around the house.

Be sure to have your pedometer correctly calibrated lest you get cheated of hard earned steps!

Metta,
Retro.

[Ben]

Hi Chris
Last year I was interested to know just how far I walked in my daily work routine.
I was surprised to discover that I walked between 10,000 to 14,000 steps per day.
This year I'm probably walking a little bit less on a daily basis and I'm supplementing my walking with lap swimming three or more times per week.
kind regards

Ben

[David N. Snyder]

If you work in an office building, take the stairs instead of the elevator. It is good exercise and if you are somewhat "green" oriented, it also saves the energy that would have been used to pull the elevator car up (if you would have been the only one in the elevator).

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

If you work in an office building, take the stairs instead of the elevator. It is good exercise and if you are somewhat "green" oriented, it also saves the energy that would have been used to pull the elevator car up (if you would have been the only one in the elevator).

That is true, but apparently it's an occupational health and safety risk to go down the stairs, even though going upstairs is fine. I guess the theory is that if you trip, you've got less distance to fall!

I'm a veteran and scurrying down escalators in order to catch trains, so have no fear of scooting down the stairs at high speed.

Metta,
Retro.

[cooran]

Hello all,

Well, the Challenge was supposed to start Monday 12th, but the pedometers weren't delivered on time - so it has been put off a week.

I bought one privately which shows the Number of Steps, The Calories used, and the Distance Walked. My brother helped me work out my step length (10 steps divided into the distance it took), and entered the info in the pedometer. (Thanks Retro).
So I'm using this week as a trial-run and not keeping permanent records.

But it is interesting how having a pedometer helps sort out exactly where (how long) the walk goes - and doing 10,000 steps per day is do-able but tiring in hot humid weather. My usual daily walking route measured 7110 steps for 5.83 kms. But, by adding an extra bit, I get to walk past thousands of grumpy sleepy complaining fruit bats hanging in the trees in a protected area, and end up doing 10531 steps and 8.6 kms.

with metta
Chris

[Ben]

Well done Cooran!
I look forward to hearing about your progress.

We've had the national swimming 'masters' on down here which has meant that the acquatic centre has been off-limits for most of easter. I'm looking forward to getting back into it.
metta

Ben