This year the Library will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Paris Olympics, through our wellness activities. We will be counting our steps (and step-equivalents) to travel around the world, from Olympic city to Olympic City --starting in Paris and ending up back there after *16 million steps.* Use the Activity Conversion chart (linked under Helpful Resources) to convert wellness activities other than walking into steps. Any wellness activity not listed can be converted by counting 60 steps per minute of activity. For example, 15 minutes of mindfulness equals 900 steps.

If you're tracking actual steps, please use a tracking device such as a Fitbit, Apple watch, or an app on your phone. If you do not have an activity tracker, the Library will provide participants with a pedometer, but supplies are limited. Participants who have registered for the wellness challenge and need a pedometer should email Walk@library.illinois.edu as soon as possible.

If we meet our final goal, all participants who have turned in their weekly counts on time for all four weeks will receive a fabulous, wellness-enhancing prize.

1. Register as an individual or select a team of members from the Library. Students that work in your unit are welcome to join. Think of a team name.  The team or the individual will E-MAIL Walk@Library.illinois.edu to register either as an individual or with the team's name by 5pm on April 29th.  If you would like to be assigned a team, please note that on your registration.
2. If you are counting steps, wear a tracking device every day from April 29th to May 26th. Record your steps in your calendar, through online tools or calculate your steps using an app for your phone. Here are some walking route planner and app examples.
3. If you are counting other types of wellness activities, record those activities in your calendar. Use the Activity Conversion chart or the equation "one minute of a wellness activity =  60 steps" to convert your activities into steps.

4. On Monday morning each week, input your weekly step/step equivalent count. Please try to stay with these deadlines so that we can send out results in a timely manner.  Input your steps/step equivalent counts using this form.

5. Once we receive all of the numbers for the week, we will send out a list of all of the individual and team averages. Try to increase your average each week!

AT THE END...

For Teams and Individuals:

At the end of the four weeks, we'll calculate the total average steps of each team over the course of the 4 weeks. Certificates will be awarded to the top team. The top individual not on a winning team will also receive a certificate.

Teams and individuals who did not place in the top will be reviewed for the highest change in steps over the 4 weeks. The team and individual that improve the most will also receive certificates.  The team and the individual with the highest average, of course, will have bragging rights for the next year!

Everyone who turns in their steps on time for all four weeks will be eligible for a prize (courtesy of Dean Stewart) if we meet our Library goal of traveling around the world.  We will have a time set aside in June to hand out our prize.  If we all get active, we can meet our challenge!