Wellington residents are being encouraged to swap their swimmers for their joggers as the next stage of Wellington’s Healthy Town Challenge steps up.
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Mrs Rusan Hill, physiotherapy assistant at the Wellington Health Service said it is now time to get your walking shoes on and participate in the Pedometer Challenge.
“Walking is fantastic for your physical, psychological and social wellbeing. Increasing fitness, strengthening bones and reducing the risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease are just a few of the well-known benefits from walking.
“The recommended number of steps people should take each day to achieve health benefits is 10,000. A pedometer can track your movement throughout the day and help with setting daily step goals,” she said.
“We encourage people to try and make walking 10,000 steps a day one of their goals”.
Mrs Hill said that the pedometer challenge will run throughout the month of April and there will be weekly prizes up for grabs.
“The first step in the Pedometer Challenge is to grab a pedometer, a form and record the number of steps that you walk each day. If you don’t own a pedometer, you can loan one from Wellington Community and Allied Health.
“At the end of the week, add up your steps and the let the organisers know your total. This can be done by phoning 6840 7257 or by leaving your step totals in the locked box at reception in the hospital – don’t forget to leave your name,” she said.
All steps walked during the Pedometer Challenge will be tallied on a weekly basis and published in the Wellington Times. Let’s see how many steps the community can accumulate in just one month.
Mrs Hill said that you can walk by yourself, with your dog, with your friends or with a group - the idea is to just walk.
“If you would like to walk with a group, there are several walking groups you can attend. The Wednesday Morning Group meets at Pioneer Park at 8.30am. A walk group will also be meeting Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 5pm at the Library car park,” she said.
For more information on the Wellington Pedometer Challenge, please contact Rusan Hill on 6840 7257.
