70,000 Steps in 7 Days

Click here to view this story as it appeared in the Morganton News Herald Health Tab (Includes additional graphics and information) in pdf format.

BY ANNA WILSON

BLUE RIDGE HEALTHCARE

MORGANTON - Phifer Wellness Center is talkin’ ’bout you and me walkin’ at least 70,000 steps in seven days as part of the second annual Medical Fitness Week, April 24-30.

“We wanted to support our membership in the Medical Fitness Association while at the same time offering a health benefit to the community,” said Debbie Knight, director of Phifer. “Also, the event will benefit the Burke County School Nurse Program.”

As part of Blue Ridge HealthCare, Phifer is one of the few hospital-based fitness facilities in Western North Carolina. Although open to the public as a fitness center, Phifer is also a medical facility where Blue Ridge HealthCare patients can participate in specialized rehabilitation programs, such as water aerobics geared toward those with fibromyalgia or arthritis.

Phifer has joined the National Walking Challenge called “Steppin’ Out: 70,000 Steps in 7 Days.” The goal of the MFA initiative is to promote an increase in physical activity levels in all ages and to highlight the medical fitness difference.

“The challenge will involve wearing a pedometer and tracking how many steps a day that you are achieving,” Knight said. “We’re inviting everyone to join us for a fun way to get a bit more exercise.”

Anyone can participate, and the challenge will begin April 24 and end April 30. A kick-off event will be held April 20 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Phifer Wellness Center. Walkers will receive a pedometer and the Phifer exercise staff will help calibrate your pedometer to your stride.

Participants should stop by the wellness center to register and pay a minimum donation of $10. Proceeds will be donated to the Burke County School Nurse Program - partially funded by Blue Ridge HealthCare - for programs promoting healthy lifestyle habits in children.

The challenge is to wear a pedometer from the time you get up, until the time you go to bed, and write down your steps each day. Add up your weekly total and report that total by noon on May 1.

Achieve 70,000 steps, and you will have achieved the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations for physical activity.

“Participants who aren’t members of Phifer will also be rewarded with a one-month membership to the wellness center,” Knight said.

Some effort will be required to average 10,000 steps (the equivalent of walking roughly five miles) a day for seven days. “Roughly, about 2,000 steps equals one mile and 3,000 steps a day is about average for someone who doesn’t exercise,” Knight said. “So 10,000 steps a day is a lot.”

A good goal is to increase your daily steps each week by 500 per day until you are normally achieving 10,000 steps a day.

“You’re going to have to make a conscious effort in getting more steps,” she added. “Park a little farther away at work; use the steps instead of elevator; walk to lunch instead of taking the car; and get in a little more walking exercise.”

Knight hopes the challenge will show people the benefits of walking. “Walking is safe and effective whether you’re already active or just getting started,” she said. “It’s springtime and that’s the time to be outside. With obesity being such an issue across the country, we hope this will encourage everyone to take just a few more steps toward better health.”

For more information, call Phifer Wellness Center at 580-6600.

The Medical Fitness Association (MFA), a nonprofit organization founded in 1991, is dedicated to medically based fitness and wellness facilities. MFA is a professional membership association whose mission is to ascertain and respond to the needs of centers that are owned, sponsored or operated by hospitals and physician groups throughout the world. MFA is an affiliate of the American Hospital Association.

Benefits of Walking

• More energy
• Less stress
• Better weight management
• Decreased chance of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, colon and breast cancer and osteoporosis

Step Out for Good Health

Millions of Americans suffer from illnesses that can be prevented or minimized through regular physical activity:

• 13.5 million people have coronary heart disease
• 1.5 million people suffer from a heart attack in a given year
• 50 million people have high blood pressure
• Recent studies indicate that you don’t need to climb a mountain or run a marathon to be physically fit. You simply need to be active everyday. The recommend level of activity is 30-60 minutes of moderate activity at least 5 days a week - this can be in divided periods of 10-15 minutes each.

A person who walks 10,000 steps a day will burn between 2,000 and 3,500 extra calories per week.

The second largest employer in Burke County, Blue Ridge HealthCare serves a four-county area and includes Grace and Valdese hospitals, Blue Ridge Home HealthCare, Grace Heights and College Pines Health & Rehabilitation Centers, Grace Ridge Retirement Community, Phifer Wellness Center and a number of physician practices.