| Step One Challenge |
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On August 5th the Cleveland County Health Department with its collaborative sponsors began registration for the 8th Annual Step One Challenge county-wide walking contest. This contest is a community-wide approach to increasing physical activity and supporting obesity prevention strategies for all residents of the county.
The Step One Challenge is a county-wide event in which all Cleveland County residents, ages 12 and up, are eligible to participate at NO COST. Participants must form teams of between 3-6 individuals, with each team having a name and captain. All participants will receive a FREE pedometer and walking log to monitor daily steps taken. Entry forms are available from the Cleveland County Health Department, the YMCA sites in the county and the public libraries. Entry forms are also posted on the Step One Challenge web site at www.steponechallenge.org. All team registrations for this year’s walking event are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, August 30th to Henry Earle or Tyler McDaniel at the Cleveland County Health Department.
Team captains will pick up the team packets consisting of walking logs, reporting sheets and pedometers on Friday, September 6th from 3:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at either the Cleveland County Health Department or Kings Mountain Hospital. The contest kicks off on Saturday, September 7th and runs through Friday, October 18th.
In addition to this year’s competition is the “2nd Annual Step One 5K and Fun Run.” This event, presented by Shelby Savings Bank, will happen on Saturday, September 7th at 9:00 a.m. at Aldersgate UMC in Shelby. Participants, ages 8 and up, can run, jog or walk the 3.1 mile route and at 10:00 a.m. the ¼ mile fun run will occur. Registration is now open at www.steponechallenge.org for the 5K and Fun Run. The cost is $15 for the 5K and the Fun Run is FREE. All participants of the 5K that register prior to the 5th online will be guaranteed a t-shirt, and all fun run participants will be given a race medal.
Walking can be achieved easily by most people, and serves as an inexpensive way of increasing your physical activity levels. Proven health benefits of walking include improved physical condition, improved cardiovascular functioning, increased calorie expenditure, as well as reductions in cholesterol and high blood pressure.
The Step One Challenge is a great opportunity for individuals to become active participants in the improvement of their health status. Participation is crucial to the success of this year’s event. Please join in helping to make Cleveland County healthier! For more information about the Step One Challenge please visit www.steponechallenge.org. Happy trails!
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