Week 7 News: Halfway there!

March 22, 2010

Dear Friends,

Can you believe it? We’re already halfway through our Shape Up journey, and together we’ve walked 1 billion steps – more than 500,000 miles!

That might sound impossible, but we’ve proven that it’s not. We did it through lots of hard work, team motivation, shoe leather, and sweat.

We did it by walking every single day and accumulating our progress one step and one pedometer click at a time.

We did it by joining together as a vast community of active individuals who are setting the pace for the rest of Rhode Island to follow.

So spread the word. If you go out to dinner with friends or family next weekend, tell them about the success of our collective campaign to make this state healthier. And then take them on a brisk, post-dinner, burn-off-the-calories walk. You’ll feel great – and maybe even gain a teammate or two for the upcoming Summer Challenge!

Yours In Health,

Rajiv Kumar

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Wednesday Walk

Join Shape Up RI for a walk on Wednesday March 24th at 12:15 p.m. Meet us at the Cliff Walk in Newport starting on Narragansett Ave (you can also park on this street). We will walk along the water and up to Memorial Boulevard and back for a 1.2 mile walk. That is over 2000 steps! Check out the Wednesday Walk page

All are welcome. Everyone is entered to win a Shape Up RI tee-shirt.

Wednesday Walk Photos
Photos from last Wednesday Walk are at http://www.shapeupri.org/photos-and-stories/

Calendar of Freebies: Risky Business and Hula Hooping is Hot

Risky: Take a risk this week and try an exercise you’ve never heard of. Candidates abound, from RBSS (Resist-A-Ball Stretch and Strength, focusing on stretching and strengthening the whole body performed on the resist-a-ball, to Bodypump, a barbell workout (if you like weight training, give this one a try!). Or how about Ballistic, “a fun, funky, crazy and challenging class” that uses the stability ball and other "gym" equipment for a cardio interval workout? Check them out at our calendar of events.

Hula Hooping: “You can’t help but laugh and smile when you’re hooping,” says actress Marissa Tomei, whose hula hooping exercise video premieres next week as Hollywood enthuses over this new form of exercise for adults (see http://nyti.ms/9wExmg). But Shape Up members can try it live with Rhode Island’s own hula hooping guru, Susan Whitney, who invites you to try a free class with her on Tuesday nights. Check them out at our calendar of events.

How many calories….?

...in a cup of strawberries? Hardly any: only 45. Strawberries are a good source of folate, potassium, vitamin C and manganese.

Recipe: March Madness!

We’re in the throes of March Madness, and if you’re having folks (your Shape Up team?) over to watch your favorite college basketball teams , you’ll need healthy snacks. Turns out that’s just what Martha Stewart was thinking too. She’s offering 11 great and easy ones on her web site. Among them are Salty-Sweet Pretzel Mix, Chili-Lime Popcorn and Whole Grain Cereal Mix With Olive Oil and Parmesan – enough to last you through the games leading up to the NCAA Championship Game April 5. See the recipes at http://www.marthastewart.com/photogallery/playoff-snacks

Walk of the Week: Anywhere With Your Dog

Dog owners know that the best thing about hiking in the non-summer months is that many areas allow you to bring along the dog. State beaches such as Scarborough in Narragansett and East Matunuck State Beach as well as Newport’s Easton’s Beach allow leashed dogs between Oct. 1 and April 1, so take advantage of this last week! (On Middletown’s beaches, you’ve got til April 30).
 
But plenty of natural areas welcome your dog on a leash any time, from trails to the water on Rome Point in North Kingstown (off 1A) and woods-and-water walks in Goddard State Park in East Greenwich to broad vistas of the bay in Bristol’s Colt State Park and a 3-mile nature trail at historic Fort Barton in Tiverton.
 
For more ideas, see the web site http://www.hikewithyourdog.com, which has a Rhode Island area. It also provides an excerpt from the excellent paperback book “Doggin’ Rhode Island: The 25 Best Places To Hike With Your Dog in the Ocean State” by Doug Gelbert.

Ordering Pedometers and t-shirts

Getting a t-shirt or an additional or replacement pedometer is easy. Visit our Shop to Support page. Questions? Give us a call at 401 421-0608.

Important: The information provided by Shape Up RI is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and should not be used as a substitute for the care and advice of a professional health care provider. Before beginning any physical activity and/or weight loss program you should consult your physician. Shape Up RI provides health information meant for people in generally good health. If you have an underlying medical concern, please consult your physician about how this information affects your specific medical conditions.