Congratulations on joining the “Penticton Steps Out” team. Please find below some very common Questions and our Answers to those Questions. If there are other questions you have and you wish them to be added to this page, Send us your question and we will add it to this site. Click here to email us your new question.
What is Penticton Steps Out?
Penticton Steps Out is an
independent walking program committed to motivate participants to get
active and promote healthy living. pedometers and log cards are provided
to encourage goal setting and monitor your success.
How do I
sign up?
Come down to the Penticton Community Centre - 325 Power
Street - Penticton, BC - or call the front desk at 250-490-2426 for
details on other registration locations.
LOGGING YOUR STEPS:
How do I log my steps?
The easiest way to record and track
your steps is to log in daily or weekly at www.stepsout.com/penticton.
You must begin by activating your online Step Update account. Because more than one family member may wish to participate in the Steps Out program, you must create a personal username and password and choose a starting date for your step updates.
The Step Update log-in is available from the left-hand menu of the Steps Out main page. This takes you to the update page where you may review your current step statistics and enter new steps taken.
If you do not have computer access, you can drop off your log cards at the Penticton Community Centre drop box every two weeks or so. Be sure to put your name on the bottom of cards.
What if I have a lot of saved-up steps? How can I post
them?
For security reasons, the Step Update program is not designed
for the entry of massive step numbers. It is a log program geared for
daily entries of 1 - 50,000 steps.. You are not limited in how many step
entries you make when you visit the step update page. Remember, you cannot
post steps for days earlier than your selected start date.
If you have a large number of steps saved up and wish to post them, the best option is to enter each daily total and select the day it applies to using the "steps for the day of..." date-selection menus. This will make your Step History appear correctly. If you have a lot of days saved up, this can take some time but it is worth it.
Alternatively, you can simply spread large totals over a few days and ignore your step history. (If you do this, your step history will not show correct daily totals and the webmaster will not fix it for you.)
What can I do if I made a mistake and posted the wrong number of
steps or wrong date in update log?
Email Edis Computers and they will
fix it for you. Corrections of this type may take several days to be
completed. Remember, your Step Correction Request must include the
following information:
Your First and Last Name
Your Username
Your Email Address
The corrected steps and dates you are requesting.
Can I log in once and enter more than one family member's steps on
the tracking page?
Nope, nada, no, no-sireee, sorry. Our Steps
Update program works the same way as any email account, forum account,
eBay account or other standard online profile does... One
Username/Password = One Person or Profile.
To post more than one set of steps, simply do the following: After logging in and updating a member's steps, use the Log Out link to go back to the main page so that you can log in again with the next member's username/password and update those steps as well.
My "average steps per day" and "average kilometers per day" seem to
be way out of wack - why?
This usually happens if you have entered
the wrong step starting date when you activated your account. If this is
the case, you can beg a starting date correction from the Webmaster.
If you feel that the distance you have actually walked is not inline with the distances shown on the step update page, please see "How many steps in a km?" below.
What if I enter my steps and I don't see a red line?
You
should see a small red line on top of the green line before you enter any
steps. If you don't see it, you most likely need to update your Flash
Player. You have to have at least version 5 of Flash, if you right click
on the image you will find instructions for downloading the latest version
of Flash Player.
What if my pedometer seems inaccurate?
For best results, clip
the pedometer firmly at your waist. It should be located above the knee or
on your side above the hip. It is important to insure that the case is
positioned straight up and down. If the pedometer is tilted, your step
count may be under-recorded because the pedometer's pendulum function is
not free to swing properly.
How many steps in a km?
The Steps Out program considers an
average step to be 0.762 meters (this equals a 2.5 foot stride) Therefore,
1 kilometer = 1,320 Steps.
If you have longer legs and/or a wider gait, you will actually be making more distance than the Step Update program shows. If you have shorter legs and/or a narrower gait, you will actually be making less distance than the Step Update program shows. Either way, don't sweat the distance! The point of Steps Out is to get you walking and promote overall health. It is more important how hard and long you work, not how far you go.
WALKING ROUTES AND HOSTED WALKS:
Where should I take my walks?
You can take your walks wherever
and whenever you wish (please do not trespass on private land without
permission). As a Steps Out participant, there are several regular Hosted
Walks available to you. Remember, you should always walk with a partner if
possible. The walk will go faster and be more enjoyable... safety is also
an important factor.
When are the hosted walks or activities?
Hosted Walks and
activities will be listed on our What's New page.
Can I host a walk?
If you would like to host a regular walk
in your neighbourhood call us at 250-490-2426 or email us. We are always looking to
create new programs.
CONTEST INFORMATION:
Visit our Contest page for more detail.
WALKING TIPS:
What's the best time of day to walk?
It varies from one
person to the next. Really any time of day is perfect In the winter try to
walk at lunch hour, since that's the warmest part of the day. The fresh
air revitalizes you for the afternoon, plus you get a healthy dose of
vitamin D from the sun's rays. The real question is, when are you most
willing and able to walk? That's the best time for you.
Should I eat before I walk?
Again, it varies from one person
to the next. Definitely always eat something before a morning walk. But if
planning to go at a brisk pace or to do some interval training, keep
breakfast small and simple--maybe a piece of fruit, or some low-fat or
nonfat yogurt. The human body doesn't particularly like digesting food and
exercising hard at the same time.
That said, a leisurely stroll after a large meal may enhance digestion and burn a few extra calories. But walking before a meal works just as well, provided you don't have any problems with your blood sugar. If that meal happens to be breakfast, be sure to drink a nice, tall glass of water before you head out. Your body may be somewhat dehydrated after a night's sleep.
What's the simplest way to determine how fast I'm
walking?
The easiest way to gauge your speed without wearing a
pedometer--or getting in your car and measuring mileage, which can be
pretty difficult unless you walk along a street--is to count your number
of steps per minute. The experts use this number to calculate pace, based
on an average stride length of 2˝ feet. (Stride length is the distance
from the heel of one foot to the heel of the other foot when you're taking
a step.) They've already done the math for you.
70 steps per minute equals 30 minutes per mile, or 2 miles per hour.
105 steps per minute equals 20 minutes per mile, or 3 miles per
hour.
140 steps per minute equals 15 minutes per mile, or 4 miles per
hour.
If you pay attention to your steps, after a while you'll be able to estimate your pace fairly accurately without bothering to count. You'll just know what a 20-minute mile or a 15-minute mile feels like.
How many calories do I burn by walking a mile?
The average
150-pound person burns between 80 and 100 calories per mile. However, that
number changes depending on height, weight, fitness level, terrain,
clothing, temperature, and many other factors.
If your goal is to lose weight, forget about the numbers. Instead, develop a healthy eating plan that you can live with, and incorporate as much physical activity into your daily routine as possible, and walk for at least ˝ hour a day.
When should I get new shoes?
Replace your walking shoes every
6 months or 600 miles, whichever comes first. At that point, it doesn't
matter if the shoes still look great; they've lost a lot of their
cushioning. *Our sponsor Peach City Runners can give you advice on the
proper shoes for your type of stride.
HEALTH ISSUES:
How can I evaluate my fitness level as a walker?
James Rippe,
MD, has developed a special formula to help walkers assess their fitness.
Find a flat 1-mile loop. Warm up for 5 minutes, stretching your calves and
hamstrings. Then walk the mile as quickly as you can without running out
of steam. Compare your time against the benchmark for your age group.
My hands swell when I walk. Is this a problem?
Swelling in
your hands is normal. When you swing your arms, the blood rushes down into
your fingers. It isn't harmful, but it could be uncomfortable, especially
if you wear rings. It's a good idea to take off your rings before you go
walking.
If the swelling bothers you, try squeezing your hands into fists from time to time while you walk. This helps push blood back from the fingers. Some people carry small rubber balls to squeeze.
Help! I'm having pain in the front of my lower legs. What is
it?
It sounds like shinsplints, a common problem among beginning
walkers. It results from doing too much too soon. Your shin and calf
muscles cramp from overuse, and you notice a burning pain in your shins.
To avoid shinsplints, increase your distance and pace gradually, and always take time to warm up before doing any speed work. If you've already overdone it, try slowing your pace. If you're still in pain, try stretching your calf muscles. Stand facing the nearest wall or tree, then lean forward, putting your palms against the wall or tree and keeping your heels flat on the ground. Or sit on a bench with your legs straight out in front of you, and flex your feet toward you. Still in pain? Hobble home and apply ice for 15 minutes. Be sure to wrap the ice in a towel, to protect your skin from the cold.
I have heel pain. What should I do?
Heel pain becomes
increasingly common with age, especially among the over-40 crowd. Often it
results from a condition called plantar fasciitis --that's inflammation of
the plantar fascia, a sheath of connective tissue that runs along the
bottom of the foot. As this tissue becomes overstretched and inflamed, it
produces sharp pain, especially first thing in the morning when you get
out of bed. The pain eases as you walk around, but it can come back,
especially if you sit for a long time.
As you get older, your body's tissues become less pliable. That's why stretching is so important. For heel pain, stretching your calf muscles may help. If it doesn't, you may need better walking shoes or special shoe inserts (called orthotics) to keep your ankles from rolling inward (overpronating), which may overstretch and inflame the plantar fascia.
If simple stretching doesn't relieve your pain within a week or two, schedule an appointment with a podiatrist. You need to find out what's causing your pain.
Whatever the source of your heel pain, it needs time to heal. Just be patient. Your podiatrist may want to give you cortisone shots, but they're only a temporary solution. Getting them repeatedly may cause tissue damage over time. * Remember, when in doubt see your doctor.
How can I avoid blisters?
A bad case of blisters can knock a
beginning walker right off her feet. More experienced walkers who step up
their workouts or switch to hiking can encounter problems, too. Here's how
to keep your feet blister-free.
When you feel a "hot spot" on your foot, act right away. Take off your shoe and apply moleskin or an adhesive bandage over the affected area. Make sure that your shoes fit both feet. Often one foot is larger than the other. The friction created by wearing the wrong-size shoe--whether it's too small or too large--can lead to blisters. Wear high-tech socks made from fibers that wick away moisture. Skip the cotton, and look for synthetic blends such as CoolMax or Wonderspun.
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