10,000 Steps Challenge

The challenge begins on October 15 and runs for four weeks. This year participants will walk a virtual route from Cape Otway, Victoria to Lake Macquarie, NSW.

Taking the challenge

Form a team of eight, including a captain. Your team can include Monash staff and students or family and friends.

1. Nominate a team captain.
2. Team captain registers your team and makes payment online (using credit card or cost centre/fund). Registration fee is $10 per person.
3. Team members then register and join the team online.
4. Team captains are encouraged to collect the participant packs at selected campus locations. The pack includes a pedometer to count your steps.
5. Log your steps each day on the website at http://www.monash.edu.au/10000steps.

Events and prizes

Each campus will hold:

• competitions and prizes for winning teams
• a celebration event with guest speakers Peter Hudson and Alastair Lynch.

Walking 10,000 steps every day

To reach the 10,000-step goal, you will need to do a 30-minute walk on top of your normal daily activities. You can count swimming, going to the gym, playing tennis or other activities by converting them into steps, as follows:

• 10 minutes of moderate intensity activity = 1000 steps
• 10 minutes of high intensity activity = 2000 steps

Moderate intensity activity causes a slight but noticeable increase in breathing and heart rate. Examples are swimming, cycling, horse riding, rowing, dancing, active gardening (mowing, raking, digging).

High intensity activity makes you huff and puff and talking during this activity is difficult. Examples are circuit training, aerobics, brisk rowing, fast cycling, jogging, competitive sport (squash, netball, football).

Why 10,000 steps?

10,000 steps is the recommended level of activity for a healthy adult. It is about eight kilometres or one hour and 40 minutes walking, depending on your stride length and walking speed.

This challenge puts a focus on the accumulation of activity across the day. To reach it and maintain it afterwards, we need to make choices to be more active:

• stand up at your desk when taking a phone call
• schedule a walking meeting
• remove the bin from your desk so you have to walk to the next bin
• stand and take a break from your computer every 30 minutes
• download a free seven day trial at Monash Sport
• register your department for a Staff Wellbeing & Activity Program (SWAP)
• eat lunch away from your desk
• get up off the couch and walk around the house during the TV ad breaks
• enjoy the lunchtime sun with a stroll around campus. Download campus walking maps (pdf 1620kb)
• pack a picnic or the cricket set and take your family to enjoy one of the many picturesque parks and gardens around Melbourne and Victoria
• download the 10,000 Steps four-week health challenge brochure (pdf 301kb)
• register for the Monash Health Revolution and commit to making a change.

Contact for enquiries

Telephone: 990 20856 or 990 51016
Email: wellbeing@monash.edu