10,000 steps each day

Tomorrow I start the 10,000 steps a day challenge with others from my workplace. So for the next 4 months I am going to be ridiculously annoyed by having to wear a pedometer.

The event runs for until September, and each of the two Adcorp teams will be competing against each other and other Adcorp teams across Australia.

The GCC is a corporate health and wellbeing initiative developed specifically for the workplace. The event was created to address the emerging health crisis resulting from the triple threat - longer workdays, sedentary occupations and little or no exercise.

As you will discover, the GCC is a program that increases staff fitness, promotes teamwork, fosters positive competitive spirit, and supports the workforce to be active, healthy, and more productive.

Most importantly, it's fun. Participants record their daily walking activity levels from their GCC pedometer and every step moves them further along a virtual walk around the world. With a daily target of 10,000 steps and a journey that provides reward for effort, participants and their team have a great time while maintaining the long-term commitment and motivation needed to bring about positive, habitual change.

Website: www.gcc2008.com

My pedometer is here
It’s everywhere that I do go,
It comes with me in sunshine,
And through the rain and in the snow.

I wear it on my hip
Making sure it’s set up straight,
That way it keeps my step count right
Regardless of my gait.

Not on my head or by my toes
But just there on my hip,
And if I wear loose clothing
I need to check it doesn’t slip.

And the days I have to wear it
Well, that’s everyday I’m told,
Every weekday and weekend
To my body it must mould.

Except when I go swimming
Have a bath or get undressed,
Cause if we had to wear it nude
We’d all get rather stressed.

It cannot measure everything
Of this, I am aware,
It doesn’t measure street luge miles
Or wrestling with a bear.

But what it does is measure steps
And how many I can do,
I can’t wait to get it started
And we hope you can’t wait too.