It’s hard to believe, but we are already in week 5 of the OncoLink #getmoving challenge.
We have stuck with it! We continue to initiate “work week hustle” challenges to motivate each other Monday-Friday.
Here is what I have noticed about my own behaviors.
- I’m getting up to exercise EVERY weekday morning. The weather has been terrible most days the past two weeks, but I’ve really embraced the “indoor walking” videos available on YouTube. I’ve started to augment them on my own, putting the basic steps to music I love. But, I’m still looking forward to nicer weather when I can be outside.
- I’m working hard to log 5000 steps before 10am every day. I’ve been slowly upping that number this week. Hard to believe that when we started this challenge 5 weeks ago my DAILY step goal was 6000. I’m consistently logging 10,000 steps a day, as are the other members of the OncoLink team.
- But, steps aren’t everything. There is actually very little evidence that supports the holy grail number of 10,000 steps per day = a healthy amount of activity. In our cancer risk assessment tool, Reduce My Risk, we don’t ask how many steps a day you walk. We ask how many days per week you exercise. Active minutes per week are essential. This great article provides more information on active minutes and its impact on health and risk reduction.
- Last week, I logged 269 active minutes. The weekly recommendation is 150! I am floored. As I write this blog, I’m halfway through the week and I’ve already logged 203 active minutes.
- My Fitbit tracker also monitors my heart rate. This has been interesting to me to learn how my activity impacts my heart rate. The one down side I’ve noticed about the Fitbit-it’s ability to track flights of stairs is inconsistent at best. So, if you are trying to increase activity via stair climbing and using the Fitbit to track this it may not be the best method to get valid results.
- Two years ago, I tore the meniscus in both of my knees. My mobility has been compromised since—and as a result so has my mental health. I’ve done physical therapy (and graduated), had multiple injections and taken more ibuprofen than I care to admit. Before we started this challenge, I had more bad days than good days. My knees often ached. Sometimes they would just pop out of place causing excruciating pain and immobility. I noticed I couldn’t stand still for long periods of time, as my knees would just become totally stiff. It was taking its toll. I even thought about needing to move out of my house and into a ranch so I didn’t have to do so many stairs. But, over the past five weeks, all of that has changed. My knees hurt much less. I’m taking less medication. I’m climbing the stairs with less pain and more confidence. The feeling of my knee popping out of place happens much less frequently. I’m stronger physically. And less pain means better quality of life. Indeed, motion is lotion.
So, the benefits continue to grow. Thanks to the amazing OncoLink team for your ongoing motivation, support, and cheering as we work this together. Are you motivated to #getmoving?