The FEB FIT step challenge is a FREE initiative to encourage regions around Australia in Feb each year. The goal each year is to help each region to record 50 Million steps. 

Aside from the added health benefits from being more active, there are also opportunities to involve yourself in the community and claim a major prize.

BUT FOR GLADSTONE PEOPLE THE MAIN REASON TO JOIN - Is to be part of something greater than yourself - A free community event!

In 2020, Gladstone recorded the lowest steps out of the 10 regions that participated in the Steps Challenge (except for Gold Coast but they don't count)

In 2022, the goal is to record 50 Million steps as a community and rank as one of the most active regions in Australia. 

This is a difficult answer because there are multiple independent factors you need to consider like your physical ability, your age, environmental conditions, your body's recovery speed, medical conditions, intensity, and duration of an activity. 

If you knew your current average daily steps, you could set a simple goal to achieve that daily average over 28 days. Eg. 5000 average daily steps x 28 = 140,000 steps. 

If you were to set a moderate goal of 7,500 steps for 28 day = 210,000 steps

To set an active goal of 10,000 steps per day for 28 days = 280,000 steps. 
*please note this is not a prescription, only a guideline of what goal you could set for yourself based on your current physical ability, your age, environmental conditions, your body's recovery speed, medical conditions, intensity, and duration of an activity. 

Choosing your goal

If you haven’t tracked your steps before, you might find it really interesting to see how much you normally walk. For the first few days of wearing your activity tracker, notice what your normal activity levels are like and take some time to familiarise yourself with how many steps each activity is worth. If your normal lifestyle is quite sedentary and 10,000 steps seems like a difficult goal, just start small. You might decide to try to increase your activity by 1000 or 2000 steps a day. Every small improvement is a step in the right direction. Choose a goal that you feel is achievable and use each small success to motivate you to go further¹.

Use an activity tracker

Pedometers have come a long way – there is now a huge range of fitness gadgets available that are comfortable to wear, attractive and technologically advanced, including smart watches and handy apps for your mobile phone. These activity trackers can be great motivational tools to help you reach your goals. Being able to see how you’re doing throughout the day can be an excellent way to boost your confidence, keep you focused on your aims and push you to chase the next milestone¹.

Physical Activity

• Doing any physical activity is better than doing none. If you currently do no physical activity, start by doing some, and gradually build-up to the recommended amount.
• Be active on most days, every week.
• Build gradually a combination of both moderate and vigorous activities, each week.
• Do muscle-strengthening activities on at least 2 days each week².

What are the health benefits?

The long list of health benefits is impressive! Stepping out on a 30-minute walk each day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance. It can also reduce your risk of developing conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and some cancers. And it’s not just your body that benefits – the way you think and feel changes too. Moderate exercise such as walking can put you in a better mood, improve concentration, and help manage and soothe anxiety and stress. Plus, it can even enhance your outlook on life by boosting your confidence and self-esteem over time.

If you find it’s too difficult to walk for 30 minutes in one session, start with regular, small bouts (10 minutes or so) throughout the day and gradually build up from there. Australia's Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines recommend that some exercise is better than none at all, and increasing your physical activity each day will provide even more health benefits¹.

Sedentary Behaviour

Sedentary behaviour is associated with poorer health outcomes, including an increased risk of type 2 diabetes. However there is insufficient evidence to make a recommendation on the specific duration of sitting that is associated with these poor health outcomes. There is also emerging evidence to show that the negative effects of prolonged sitting may occur, even in those who meet the guidelines for moderate-vigorous physical activity.

• Minimise the amount of time spent in prolonged sitting.
• Break up long periods of sitting as often as possible²

Medical Clearance

If you have a medical condition, check with your doctor before starting any new exercise program of physical activity.