Women and girls On the Move Across the Nation is a virtual race where women participate by following routes across the country without leaving their hometowns. The WOMAN Challenge event, which begins May 14 and ends July 8, is sponsored by the Office on Women's Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of National Women's Health Week challenging women and girls to become more physically active. You register online here, choose a route, wear a pedometer, submit your pedometer reading at the end of each day at the WOMAN Challenge website and see the progress you are making in completing the route. You will receive updates on your progress weekly, as well as motivational emails and valuable health information. They even provide a conversion chart for some activities that are difficult to measure using a pedometer such as riding a bike, gardening or water activities. Did you know that each minute of bike riding is equal to 148 steps -- or -- that each minute of gardening is equal to 73 steps?
All women and girls are welcome to participate, including wheelchair bound women. They have armband pedometers -- so, no excuses. Not sure how to increase the amount of steps you take each day? They offer some suggestions to increase your daily physical activity. Here are a few ideas:
- Park your car in a parking space farther from your destination than you normally would.
- Take your children, dogs, etc. outdoors to play or for a long walk.
- Do some yard work or housecleaning.
- Bike, walk, or wheel to work, to run errands, or to visit friends.
- Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator.
