Pedometer challenge a great fit

So the Upper Murray Family Care pedometer challenge came at a good time. 

“I had gotten into a habit of missing meals as usually I would get home from work, cook dinner and then be too tired to eat it,” she says.

“ I had also put on a lot of weight as I had slowed my metabolism down so much through not eating properly, which as most of us know is the worst thing we can do to ourselves. 

“Some people are lucky and when they don’t eat they lose weight, but I know for a fact that myself and many others actually put weight on when we don’t eat enough.”

When the pedometer challenge came up Ms Garner, a receptionist at Upper Family Care, had already made the decision to get healthy and had improved her eating habits a few weeks before.

“I was also walking several times a week and still remember the day I had downloaded a new phone app for walking and when it came up and said I had walked two kilometres, I decided to push a little bit further,” she says.

“I was really proud of myself when the app spoke up and told me I had walked three kilometres.” 

She joined a team to compete in the Upper Family Care challenge and was determined to do her best.

“With the challenge extending across the whole of Upper Murray Family Care we were really hoping for our team to do well, “ she says.

Within a few weeks she could see the difference all those extra steps made.

“I could see and feel myself getting healthier and fitter and it made me more determined to continue and achieve even better results,” she says.

At the end of the six-week challenge Julie’s team had walked a total of 2,298,052 steps.

“Personally I found the pedometer challenge to be totally inspiring and it really helped me to push myself that little bit further,” she says.

“We all lead such busy lives and so many times we let life get in the way. 

“I think that it is really important that we take the time to do whatever it is we have to do to keep healthy.

“I am really grateful for Upper Murray Family Care and all the other workplaces that are giving employees opportunities to improve their lives and to help encourage healthy workplaces.”