Residents, Businesses and Faith Groups Encouraged to Join Walk90 Challenge

Central Floridians are encouraged to join the Walk90 Challenge, a 90-day walking initiative sponsored by Healthy Central Florida, AdventHealth and the Winter Park Health Foundation.

The goal is to take at least 7,000 steps a day, but each person can set their target based on personal health and fitness goals. All ages and fitness levels are welcome.

The Walk90 Challenge, which begins Oct. 1, is free and offers participants a simple online tool to help track their steps. The system syncs easily with most fitness tracking devices. For anyone who doesn't have one, a pedometer will be supplied (up to 400).

Cash and other prizes will be awarded to individuals and groups representing schools, businesses and faith groups.

The school with the most participants will earn $1,000. There are also cash prizes for second and third place, $500 and $250, respectively.

Businesses are also encouraged to join. The company with the most employees participating will be treated to a catered lunch for up to 20 people, chair massages, and receive recognition.

Faith groups with the most walkers will win $300.

Individual participants can also win weekly prizes such as Fitbits, restaurant gift certificates and sports gear. The person with the greatest number of walking steps over the 90 days will win a one-year membership to RDV Sportsplex.

The Walk90 offers fun incentives for our communities to come together and get moving, said Jill Hamilton Buss, Executive Director of Healthy Central Florida. But walking offers more than improved physical health. Walking gives us the chance to say hi to neighbors, to stop and visit unlike whizzing by in a car at 45 mph. We build strong bodies, minds and communities when we walk and talk together.

Businesses can encourage employees to take the stairs and have walking meetings. Congregations can rely on each other for encouragement and accountability. And schools can earn cash as they rally faculty, staff and students to walk to school, walk with their families and gain steps for this friendly competition, Hamilton Buss said.

To learn more and to sign up for Walk90, visit healthycentralflorida.org.