Inside WalkingSpree

2010 is bringing more changes to WalkingSpree. Look for a relaunch of our newsletter coming out in January. We’ll also be posting the site wide challenges for the whole year so you’ll know month by month what to look forward to. We’ve also made some changes to the Non pedometer activity section in the site by paring it down to just the bare essential activities that you can’t use a pedometer with. This should simplify your activity tracking even more. We’ll also be including more video tutorials.

January’s Resolution 5 Challenge

That blue moon has come and gone. Don’t wait for another blue moon to change your life. Starting January 1st, the goal is to lose 5 lbs in one month. That’s 1 lb per week plus 1. It’s doable, manageable, realistic, so jump on board the Resolution 5 challenge. Everyone who loses 5 lbs in the month of January will be eligible for a draw to win a $30.00 Amazon Gift Certificate.

Goal: To burn more calories than you’re taking in. So, set a step goal that you can manage (yes, you can lose weight on 7,000 steps/day if you keep your food intake around 1500-1800 calories/day). There are 3500 calories in one pound. So you need to burn 500 calories more per day each week to lose one pound per week.

How to Participate: You’re automatically entered in the challenge. It’s important to show your  weight loss by updating this under your health profile in the website under My Account. We’ll be generating the report in February, so make sure you have it updated by the end of the month. You can also see your weight loss difference in your Eat Smart! Messaging and in your dashboard on the portal page.

So what are you waiting for? Lose your Resolution 5 today and then carry it forward into February!

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Step into the New Year

Don’t let your New Year’s resolution go to waste. Indulge in your favorite way to get fit. Walking the dog. Stepping up in the great outdoors. Dancing romantically.

Keeping this year’s New Year’s resolution is probably the most important thing you can do. It’s more than just slimming down and fitting into those jeans you wore ten years ago. You’ll want to walk because walking has been proven to be better medicine than many high-cost drugs. Even the Surgeon General says it’s the best bang for your wellness buck! Think of the benefits. Wouldn’t you like to save on your medical and drug costs? Keep up with your grandchild? Look real good at that reunion and make your old friends envious?

Set a New Year’s Resolution to increase your walking to at least 10,000 steps/day. Every week increase your average by 20% more than your previous week’s average steps.

7 Tips to help you reach your New Year’s Resolutions*

1. Be realistic

The surest way to not reach your goal is to make your goal unattainable. For instance, resolving to never eat your favorite food again could be a bad choice. Strive for a goal that is attainable, such as avoiding it more often than you do now. Allow yourself a small sample of a favorite food.

2. Create your plan

Decide how you will deal with the temptation to skip that walk or have one more cigarette. This could include calling on a friend for help, practicing positive thinking and self-talk, or reminding yourself how your bad habit affects your life.

3. Talk about it

Don’t keep your resolution a secret. Tell friends and family members who will be there to support your resolve to change yourself for the better or improve your health. The best case scenario is to find yourself a buddy who shares your New Year’s resolution and motivate each other. Invite this person as a WalkingSpree buddy.

4. Reward yourself

This doesn’t mean that you can eat an entire box of chocolates if your resolution is to diet. Instead, celebrate your success by treating yourself to something that you enjoy that does not contradict your resolution. If you’ve been sticking to your promise to eat better, for example, perhaps your reward could be going to a movie with a friend.

5. Track your progress

Keep track of each small success you make toward reaching your larger goal. Short-term goals are easier to keep, and small accomplishments will help keep you motivated. Instead of focusing on losing 30 pounds, say, focus on losing that first 5 (look for January’s Resolution 5 Challenge). Upload your steps regularly and use the new food tracker to log your food may help you stay on track.

If you haven’t already, set a step goal on the WalkingSpree site. Watch your Fitness calendar turn green when goals are hit or burgundy when 10,000 steps are hit.

6. Stick to it

Experts say it takes about 21 days for a new activity, such as exercising, to become a habit, and 6 months for it to become part of your personality. Your new healthful habits will become second-nature in no time. Many of you have already started making walking a habit, congratulations!

7. Keep trying

If your resolution has totally run out of steam by mid-February, don’t despair. Start over again! There’s no reason you can’t make a “New Year’s resolution” any time of year.

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Upcoming December Walk with Santa Challenge

It’s almost time again for the annual Walk with Santa Challenge. Once again, this December you’ll have the chance to be Santa’s Walking Buddy. We’re introducing a new segment to our December challenge that will also include a virtual walk from Anchorage, Alaska to the North Pole.

At WalkingSpree we have a diverse group that include many faiths and beliefs, so we fully recognize that not everyone celebrates Christmas or the spirit of Santa Claus. If you do not want to participate in the Walk with Santa Challenge. You can easily remove him from your buddy list by going to Walking Buddies and click remove. We will still verify if you’ve walked more than 7,000 steps on days between December 1st and December 31st.

Rules:

You will notice on your profile page starting December 1st that you now have a new walking buddy. . . Santa Claus. Jolly Ole Saint Nick himself.

Santa averages 7,000 steps every day during December (he doesn’t hit 10,000 because he’s on his sleigh a lot this time of year).

For every day you walk more than Santa from December 1st until Dec. 31st, your name is entered into the draw for a prize (to be determined).

BUT that’s only if your corporation as a whole walks from Anchorage, Alaska to the North Pole. So you all need to work together to make this happen.

Holiday Walking Tips

The holidays can be a challenging time for people to find time to exercise with visiting friends and family. So here are some suggestions to help you get those holiday steps in:

1. Holiday Shopping – You’re at the mall already, so instead of feeling frustrated that you’ve got to run around the mall so much, check your pedometer regularly and refuel that frustration into success that you’re getting healthier and boosting your steps.

2. Park far away from the malls

3. Family walks – While visiting family and friends. Instead of everyone sitting on the couch stuffed to the gills from food, suggest everyone go for a walk instead to look at the Christmas lights.

4. Shoveling snow – Not anyone’s favorite job. Remember as you push the scoop down the driveway that you’re adding more steps to your pedometer.

5. Decorating – While decorating the tree or house, take one item per trip to add more steps.

6. Walk & Talk – The holidays are a time when we’re often on the phone with family and friends. Take advantage of this time to use a portable phone and walk around your house while talking.

7. Holiday parties – Often a time for dancing. Get out on the dance floor and step up a storm.

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Inside WalkingSpree November 2009

Congratulations to all the steps everyone has worked hard to achieve this past month. Remember, if you have any success stories you want to share with us. We’re also implementing a new photo of the month. Show us where your pedometer has been by sending us a photo of you wearing your pedometer and at the end of the year, your name will entered into a draw for a prize (to be determined). Please send them to blog@walkingspree.com.

Top 100 Walkers in WalkingSpree for October 2009.

	Screen Name	Total Steps	Total Aerobic Steps	Average Steps	Average Aerobic Steps
1	JBS	996936	682169	32159	22005
2	Dang	931769	654375	30057	21109
3	GKocal	838208	598722	27039	19314
4	Mosley	755831	291443	24382	9401
5	TKacz	749673	402971	24183	12999
6	G-ma	705761	318283	22766	10267
7	Sandra Jean	679294	350730	21913	11314
8	LifePRO Queen	658821	412122	21252	13294
9	KC Kitty	658554	251066	21244	8099
10	Bonnie Johns	642530	383902	20727	12384
11	The Timster	626924	423382	20223	13657
12	indiagirl	624256	441408	20137	14239
13	krotz4	618124	268905	19939	8674
14	Joan Schloemer	612995	280124	19774	9036
15	dab	572214	193250	18459	6234
16	Katie52478	569801	118561	18381	3825
17	dely2009	564337	361749	18204	11669
18	Frodo	549396	365262	17722	11783
19	Shannon Hoover	547868	356688	17673	11506
20	mcnag	545792	268072	17606	8647
21	Dan Slavin	543683	18521	17538	597
22	Go Bucks!	538329	227404	17365	7336
23	Stephen Sullivan	535470	410487	17273	13242
24	Marisol	533907	248485	17223	8016
25	Vera Herman	531260	432150	17137	13940
26	kmahan	528296	309955	17042	9999
27	Robert1962	528068	317031	17034	10227
28	josesand	523689	172255	16893	5557
29	Johnny Lyle	518475	57379	16725	1851
30	Evelyn53	518042	196668	16711	6344
31	TROY FREEBURG	517469	173099	16693	5584
32	levi	515191	54725	16619	1765
33	Bobles	513913	322154	16578	10392
34	Luna	508532	357606	16404	11536
35	hpa	507555	328277	16373	10590
36	ZMAN	506742	253621	16347	8181
37	Nacho	501635	78422	16182	2530
38	Lloyd Sisson	501125	360054	16165	11615
39	hawksfan21	500392	118998	16142	3839
40	alcott	500322	226702	16139	7313
41	dlr-bnk	490975	266063	15838	8583
42	Russ Nielsen	473414	182400	15271	5884
43	LBrady	471118	301984	15197	9741
44	Kathleen	470650	319734	15182	10314
45	Sher	466279	245015	6758	3551
46	LUV2TRVL	465371	5828	15012	188
47	RogerTheShrubber	464848	267959	14995	8644
48	betchabooties	461467	191678	14886	6183
49	wildschut	461363	197574	14883	6373
50	ruderwoman	459363	235205	14818	7587
51	ccneko21	458985	160903	14806	5190
52	Skeezix	458947	242490	14805	7822
53	Mr. T	458787	186051	14800	6002
54	John Hanson	457657	95200	14763	3071
55	Lawrny	457639	291139	14763	9392
56	dgonzale	455713	197959	14700	6386
57	PaulC	453288	193167	14622	6231
58	Mark Kreyenhagen	443659	272097	14312	8777
59	AguasCaliente	442959	286804	14289	9252
60	Ray J.	438023	235549	14130	7598
61	tgandy	437727	239555	14120	7728
62	SherryLuka	437376	343513	14109	11081
63	Paul 4pvl	435149	363898	14037	11739
64	opus1964	433094	195654	16041	7246
65	Bikini	432073	245110	13938	7907
66	want-to-loose	430097	85431	13874	2756
67	Caryl Johnso	429102	232565	13842	7502
68	LaxMom	428963	232693	13838	7506
69	chemss1	428941	281505	13837	9081
70	dhayes	428104	182362	13810	5883
71	Shelby Jo	423071	182581	13647	5890
72	mtlhd	421287	195433	14527	6739
73	Paddy O’Barbecue	419780	244272	13541	7880
cc	Bling1	419295	164725	13526	5314
75	Bashful	417060	39520	13454	1275
76	palmareal	416915	184166	13449	5941
77	spywebb	416079	21203	13422	684
78	Rosie the Riveter	413298	197868	13332	6383
79	rnkgolfer	411779	77753	13283	2508
80	Randy Barr	411638	277536	13279	8953
81	madison	409492	278017	13209	8968
82	UEATMOREBANANAS	407609	160336	15097	5938
83	Bert Macy	407497	45727	13145	1475
84	Pedo-Intimidator	407081	200336	13132	6462
85	mjbaker	406480	59925	13112	1933
86	OMA	404788	171538	13058	5533
87	ReidW	402018	255914	12968	8255
88	Enid	396999	158211	12806	5104
89	ktitus3	395277	54636	12751	1762
90	Miss Piggy	393307	243062	12687	7841
91	IMAHUSKER	392963	55842	12676	1801
92	Iris	392240	162047	12653	5227
93	Rhonda	391964	154192	12644	4974
94	SoccerMaze	391825	210195	12640	6780
95	MichaelWire	391311	213303	12623	6881
96	Mark Borden	390533	158901	12598	5126
97	Hazard walkman	390210	185529	12587	5985
98	don	388721	125016	12539	4033
99	Bionic Woman	385275	115722	12428	3733
100	kaking	385125	158201	12423	5103

10 Million Step Club

Robert1962	18195816
JBS	15633263
Vera Herman	14560110
KC Kitty	14203335
Aang	13322436
MAHAL KITA	13139436
LBrady	12535732
Bashful	12040442
Lisa Taylor	11727861
Joan Schloemer	11412388
TROY FREEBURG	11137805
PaulC	10983678
One Step Beyond	10838538
Brock	10776458
Russ Nielsen	10541314
Johnny Lyle	10348072
whhosken	10257143
The Timster	10206032

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American Diabetes Month

As you know from our previous Move Smart! message to members, November is American Diabetes Month®. This year’s message is a direct message to Stop Diabetes! From the American Diabetes website:

• 24 million children and adults in the United States live with diabetes
• 57 million Americans are at risk for type 2 diabetes
• 1 out of every 3 children born today will face a future with diabetes if current trends continue.

If you missed it in the Move Smart! message, we’re providing it here again: WalkingSpree has provided 30 Days to Stop Diabetes. For Diabetes Awareness Month, you can download WalkingSpree’s Diabetes Awareness calendar with walking tips for posting in your workplace or on your fridge as a reminder of the importance of every step you take. We’ve also provided you with a one week 1500 calorie Diabetic friendly meal plan that you can use in the Food Tracker.

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