How to participate in Step It Up, an Erie County fitness competition that starts April 1

Local businesses and other organizations can now register for Step It Up Erie County, an annual fitness competition sponsored by the Erie County Department of Health that was called Erie Walks until 2023.

Teams of coworkers or organization members earn points by tracking their physical activity each week between April 1 and May 26, then logging that information into the Step It Up website: https://stepituperiecounty.org.

Each team must have at least five members, and businesses and organizations can have multiple teams.

All types of exercise can count as steps

Teams will be divided according to their number of participants. The team with the highest average number of steps per participant will win a plaque.

All types of exercise count, including walking, running, strength training and yoga. The website features conversion charts.

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"Employees spend one-third of their day at work sitting at a desk or in meetings," said Leann Sestak, Step It Up Erie County coordinator. "This program can help foster a culture of well-being by incorporating more physical activity into the day."

When must you register for the competition?

To register your business or organization, visit the Step It Up website by March 29.

Contact David Bruce at dbruce@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNBruce.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Step It Up Erie County fitness competition starts April 1