By SPENSER NOBLES

News Editor

About 90 Eastern faculty and staff members will be participating in the “EIU Steps It Up walking challenge,” a five week program designed to keep participants active and also to allow them to challenge themselves to progress every week.

“One of our main purposes is to get people to think about their physical activity, and to think about some of the little things that they can do to increase their physical activity, not necessarily going out and walking three miles,” said Julie Benedict of training and development.

Examples of the “little things” that a participant can do include parking the car a little farther away from the final destination than usual and taking the stairs rather than the elevator to increase the amount of steps that are taken on a daily basis.

“We want people to be aware and conscious of how much more we can gain from those little steps that we can do every day and that it doesn’t require a lot of effort,” said senior communication studies major Pauline Matthey, an intern who, along with graduate student of the school of technology Kristen DeVito has helped Benedict develop the program.

Each person who wants to take part in the program signs up individually, but teams may also be formed.

Prizes will be distributed to the top three individual walkers as well as the top three teams.

“We are hoping through a little competition they’ll encourage each other and strive to do more,” said Benedict.

The first 50 registered participants received free pedometers, which were donated by Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center.

The pedometers not only count the number of steps an individual takes, but they also keep track of the distance traveled (in miles) and of the number of calories burned.

Each individual will enter the number of steps they have walked during the entire week and will be given the option of keeping a daily log of their steps.

Weekly emails will be sent out to help walkers, offering encouragement, tips and ideas.

According to Matthey, the main purpose of the program is “to encourage people to strive for a healthier lifestyle,” but without intimidating them by encouraging strenuous activities like hiking or running for long periods of time or distances, and, instead, giving them an alternative.

“Sure, those things are good things to do but there are other ways that you can make your life a little bit healthier just by doing little things differently in your daily routine that will increase your physical activity and, hopefully, overall wellness and well-being,” Matthey said.

Matthey and Benedict are hoping the participants will progress throughout the program, and they will continue to do so after the program ends.

“Hopefully they will take some of what they have learned and experienced in the program and take it further and keep doing it,” Matthey said.

“I think it will be fun,” said Mona Davenport, director of Minority Affairs and also a participant in the program. “What better way is there to get healthier than to do it with friends?”

The five-week program started yesterday and will end Aug. 16. It is open to all faculty and staff of Eastern.

Registration is still currently open.

Spenser Nobles can be reached at 581-7943 or at dennewsdesk@gmail.com.