The Hardin Hospital got a grant to get people to lose weight in a healthy manner, so the hospital employees and county employees are in a six week contest to see who can get 10, 000 steps a day for five days a week and also lose 5% of their body weight. Today is the official kickoff on the contest. I'm wearing my pedometer. The winning group gets a Wii exercise system, flat screen tv and a Schwinn airdyne bike. The other group will get a Wii exercise system and flat screen tv. Can't really lose.
We signed up last Friday. That wasn't fun. First we had to sign a waiver, yes there are risks in exercising and losing weight. Then we were measured for bone density and then our blood pressures were taken. The nurse told me that my bottom number was high and she was concerned. I have never had high blood pressure in my life, except when Jennifer was born. She used the old cuff and stethoscope reading. She took it right over the sleeve of my shirt and of course people were talking. I had just had my blood pressure taken a couple weeks ago for the health fair and it was well within the normal ranges. She isn't too worried about it, but she made a note to watch for me at the end. The next step was to get weighed. Not my favorite thing to do stepping on scales. Scales are made in hell. I really hate their scale, it weighed me 7 pounds heavier than the one at home. Of course this is the weight that I'm being charted on. Based on my height and weight, they got my BMI.
They had 4 different sign up stations for the employees and the courthouse one was on Friday morning. The first 25 people who signed up at each station got a free pedometer. We also got a packet with all the information and a chart to keep track of our steps. There is even a conversion chart for other activities. My swimming alone gets me 5,000 steps a day. I get credit for 189 steps a minute and I swim for 30 minutes.
I wore my pedometer all weekend, just to get used to it and see how well I can do. Getting 10,000 steps in won't be too hard, but will have to make a concentrated effort on the weekends. Too much sitting around at home and not moving. It's not so hard at work, I just have to get up and walk down the hall every once in a while.
This morning I didn't swim, but got on the elliptical for 40 minutes and I got over half my steps in already. I will go back to exercise after work, so no problem getting my 10,000 today. I also plan on walking to work. It is exactly one mile from my back door to my desk and that is about 2,000 steps one way.
No money this time, but it is all in fun. Keeping my fingers crossed the the rest of the county employees can pull their weight in this. Some who signed up are not active people.
The contest officially ends on April 30.
2 comments:
Wow, that does sound like a great way to get moving - the contest sounds like fun. Except for the measurements and weigh in. Wonder why their scale was so different from the one at home, maybe the gravitational pull is stronger there?
It's something, but then that scale always read heavier. Take into count that when I weigh myself at home, I'm not wearing as much as at work.
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