Take a Walk with WakeUP this October, and Enter a Chance to Win

Take a Walk with WakeUP this October, and Enter a Chance to Win

Take a Walk with WakeUP this October, and Enter a Chance to Win

Over the past year, COVID-19 has dramatically reshaped life in the United States and around the world. 

Nowhere is this clearer than in our own homes, which have been transformed into remote offices and virtual schools. This past summer, an incredible 42 percent of U.S. workers reported working from home full-time, and now, several months into the school year, millions of K-12 students throughout the country are engaged in fully remote online learning. 

Quarantines, sheltering in place, and social distancing are indispensable for reducing the spread of the novel coronavirus, especially now as we prepare for cooler temperatures. Nonetheless, as the months wear on, these unprecedented steps to protect public health are having detrimental side effects. 

Almost immediately after COVID-19 was declared a global pandemic back in March, for instance, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco analyzed daily step counts recorded by smartphone users and documented a steep drop in physical activity worldwide. In some parts of the world, daily step counts dropped as much as 50 percent within the first month of the pandemic. In the United States, there was a 15 percent drop in daily steps within the pandemic’s first two weeks.

Prolonged physical inactivity can have serious long-term implications for people’s health. Even in healthy adults, steep reductions in physical activity — from, say, 10,000 steps per day, the approximate recommendation of health experts, to just 2,500 steps per day — are associated with muscle atrophy and reduced cardiovascular fitness within as little as two weeks. 

This October, Walk with WakeUP (and Win!)

Walking is one of the simplest ways to counter sedentary habits and become more active. Research has shown daily walks yield numerous physical and mental health benefits, including improved cardiovascular fitness, improved endurance, reduced risk of stroke, lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and improved mood. 

There’s never been a more important time than now to adopt a healthy, active lifestyle. But we get it — we all sometimes need a push to get started. So, with support from the American Heart Association and Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC, WakeUP Wake County is offering Wake County residents a chance to win cash prizes just for getting outside and walking.  

It’s all part of what we’re calling our 2020 Walktober Photo Contest. 

2020 Walktober Photo Contest

WakeUP Wake County is excited to announce our Walktober Photo Contest, a week-long challenge meant to give Wake County residents a chance to win fun prizes while doing something good for their health.

The rules of the contest are simple: Just send us a picture of yourself getting outside and walking anytime between October 26th and November 1st, and you’ll be entered for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card (see below for more details).

So be sure to snap a picture and let us know the next time you decide to walk along your favorite stretch of greenway, walk to a neighborhood shop or restaurant to support local business, walk to a bus stop, or walk your kids to school. 

With so many great places to walk and stay active in Wake County, we can’t wait to see which are your favorite!

Contest Details

  • To be entered into the raffle, you must tag WakeUP Wake County when sharing photos to social media. For those not on social media, photos can also be emailed to info@wakeupwakecounty.org. WakeUP’s social media accounts are listed below:
  • You may submit up to 10 photos on each social media platform or by email.
  • A single photo may be submitted only once on each social media platform.
  • Photos that are not print quality (at least 300 dpi) will be disqualified.
  • Individuals submitting photos assume all responsibilities for ensuring that photos represent activities compliant with safety and environmental regulations.
  • Three (3) winners will be selected randomly between October 26, 2020 and November 1, 2020. Each winner will receive a $100 Visa gift card. Winners will be notified by November 5, 2020 and announced on WakeUP Wake County’s website and social media platforms.
  • Photos from professional photographers will not be accepted. Professional is defined as anyone that regularly accepts payment for their photos or is contracted by anyone other than family members or close friends to take portraits or event photos.

For questions please contact Heather Keefer at heather@wakeupwakecounty.org

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