Four step up for CBC television challenge

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January 5, 2011

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/crosswalk.jpg” caption=”Four McMaster community members were challenged by CBC television to get active through the simple act of walking. The group took a collective 1.5 million steps over the course of six weeks. Photo via http://bit.ly/i8q5Xw. “]

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Losing weight and living healthier are among the most popular New Year's resolutions,
but according to Kathleen Martin Ginis, professor of kinesiology, approximately fifty per
cent of people give up on their exercise regimens after just six months.

“You need special skills, equipment, time – there's a lot that goes into it,” she said.

As three McMaster staff members and a student have very publicly shown, however,
getting exercise can sometimes be as simple as getting up and walking around.

Lori Diamond, Jennifer Middleton, Christal Levy and engineering student Shariq Wani
were challenged by
CBC television to take 10,000 steps a day for six weeks while being monitored by
Gianni Parise, an assistant professor of kinesiology, and Martin Ginis. The participants
were set up with weekly walking schedules and were tested before and after the six-
week period.

The results were aired Jan. 3 on The National. href=”http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/Shows/The_National/1242568525/ID=1720245139″
>Watch the video

“The experience was great,” said Diamond, director of the McMaster University Student
Centre, who said she found it relatively easy to work 10,000 steps into her day by
doing simple things such as taking the long route to meetings, adding a walk at lunch
and parking further away from her office.

“Using the pedometer helped a lot. If I hadn't reached around 5,000 steps by noon, I
knew I needed to “step it up” so to speak. Post-challenge I feel great and I'm still
incorporating walking into my daily routine.”

Collectively, the four took approximately 1.5 million steps over the course of six
weeks.

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