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Contact: Nicole Hovatter, Communications,
612-543-4325
Contact: Anne Nelson, Public Health, 612-554-0664
Residents can take strides to better health during Step to it challenge
Residents can now register for Hennepin County’s Step to it challenge, open to people of
all ages and abilities who want to get moving while connecting with family,
friends and neighbors.
During the challenge May 1 - 28, participants track their
steps for a chance to win Twins tickets or other prizes.
Any activity counts
Participants can log all types of activity toward their step
total – even for activities already part of their daily routine, like washing
the car, cleaning the house and doing laundry.
“Exercise doesn’t have to mean going to the gym. There’s
always something you can turn into an exercise,” Sharon Kephart said, a Step to
it participant from Brooklyn Center.
For the past several years, she has participated in the Step
to it challenge with her 92-year-old mother, Doris Kephart, and 26-year-old
daughter, Ashlee Kephart.
The challenge has enabled the three generations of women to
find new ways to stay active and spend time together.
“Instead of always being in a rush going from place to
place, it was a way to see each other every day. You don’t realize you are
taking that many steps every day. It’s encouraging to see and makes you feel
good,” Sharon said.
The extra activity added up. Ashlee Kephart took home the
title of highest stepper under 65 from Brooklyn Center last year. She racked up
1,047,560 steps.
Participants step to
it to stay connected
Naomi Davidson, age 72 of Crystal, uses the challenge as a way to
stay active while meeting people. She was the top stepper age 65 or older for
her community last year with 1,090,575 million steps.
“I’ve always been a very active person and I know the importance
of exercise. The Step
to it challenge is a great way to meet new and existing neighbors. Introduce
yourself as you walk by and ask them to join your team. A safer neighborhood is
one where people know each other. And it is fun,” Davidson said.
For the past five years, Davidson has inspired her neighbors to
get active by forming a neighborhood Step to it team, which she named the “The
Dynamos.” The team ends each year’s challenge with a celebratory barbeque at
Davidson’s home.
“What I have found is many people think it is too time consuming to enter your steps
or that you have to go to a gym. You can enter steps daily or weekly using your
everyday activities. The challenge only lasts four weeks. Every step helps your
city, and you help yourself with the exercise,” Davidson said.
How to participate
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Look for more news on the Hennepin County website at www.hennepin.us/news.
Discover how we're making a difference in our communities at www.hennepin.us/stories.
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