How to tell people I'm not joining the step challenge
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I agree with the posters who say just join the challenge, not change anything you're doing and take the opportunity to cheer on the participants who are getting more steps than you.
On another note, depending on the competitiveness of your coworkers, be prepared to referee complaints that people are cheating (by counting cycling steps, running in place, having a family member wear it etc.) This stuff all came up when I participated in a step challange at work once, and there wasn't even prize money involved
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Ok I guess y'all didn't catch my mild sarcasm in my original post. Mostly, I'm dealing with older ladies and I don't even want to mention weight lifting because even my own mother scoffs at weight lifting because it isn't a "lady-like" thing to do and I'll get "too muscular". (I am not muscular at all). Basically I want a light-hearted joking way to say thanks but no thanks. Even if it's a lie. Gimme a cute line to say!
Tell ‘em you have a bum knee you messed up when you were younger and you have to limit your walking or it will swell up like a cantaloupe but that they are so lucky to get to participate!3 -
Forget the Pom poms. Bring the barbell. “Old ladies” can lift too.9
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I'd go with you are organizing the challenge so it's not a good idea to be a competitor.
Kind of like "It's hard to run the circus when you have to play the clown."2 -
monkeefan1974 wrote: »Ok I guess y'all didn't catch my mild sarcasm in my original post. Mostly, I'm dealing with older ladies and I don't even want to mention weight lifting because even my own mother scoffs at weight lifting because it isn't a "lady-like" thing to do and I'll get "too muscular". (I am not muscular at all). Basically I want a light-hearted joking way to say thanks but no thanks. Even if it's a lie. Gimme a cute line to say!
Tell ‘em you have a bum knee you messed up when you were younger and you have to limit your walking or it will swell up like a cantaloupe but that they are so lucky to get to participate!
Ok that's actually not wrong! I do often complain of my geriatric knees. I bought glucosamine earlier this week. It's believable!1 -
"My focus needs to be on making sure everyone else has a great challenge!"7
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I agree with the posters who say just join the challenge, not change anything you're doing and take the opportunity to cheer on the participants who are getting more steps than you.
On another note, depending on the competitiveness of your coworkers, be prepared to referee complaints that people are cheating (by counting cycling steps, running in place, having a family member wear it etc.) This stuff all came up when I participated in a step challange at work once, and there wasn't even prize money involved
Jeez that sounds terrible. This is another reason I don't want to join. That and I don't want to be obligated to send screen shots of my steps every day. Also, I'm poor and that money can go toward dog food. Big dogs ain't cheap! Plus I've already made the joke about putting the pedometer on your dog's collar.1 -
monkeefan1974 wrote: »Ok I guess y'all didn't catch my mild sarcasm in my original post. Mostly, I'm dealing with older ladies and I don't even want to mention weight lifting because even my own mother scoffs at weight lifting because it isn't a "lady-like" thing to do and I'll get "too muscular". (I am not muscular at all). Basically I want a light-hearted joking way to say thanks but no thanks. Even if it's a lie. Gimme a cute line to say!
Tell ‘em you have a bum knee you messed up when you were younger and you have to limit your walking or it will swell up like a cantaloupe but that they are so lucky to get to participate!
Ok that's actually not wrong! I do often complain of my geriatric knees. It's believable!
This is legit me now. Bum knee, it’s been swollen most of the winter. It hurts when I lift, it hurts when I cycle, but it hurts AND swells from walking! I was convinced I was pushing too hard with my lower body workouts, but when I stopped walking and started driving to work - knee is better. Doctor’s appointment on Monday!
Sorry for getting off topic!
I personally like the cold dead heart comment; I wish I could come up with reasons like that!1 -
"My bionic knees/hips are leased and if I go over 4,000 steps a day, I have to pay extra."
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monkeefan1974 wrote: »Ok I guess y'all didn't catch my mild sarcasm in my original post. Mostly, I'm dealing with older ladies and I don't even want to mention weight lifting because even my own mother scoffs at weight lifting because it isn't a "lady-like" thing to do and I'll get "too muscular". (I am not muscular at all). Basically I want a light-hearted joking way to say thanks but no thanks. Even if it's a lie. Gimme a cute line to say!
Tell ‘em you have a bum knee you messed up when you were younger and you have to limit your walking or it will swell up like a cantaloupe but that they are so lucky to get to participate!
Ok that's actually not wrong! I do often complain of my geriatric knees. It's believable!
This is legit me now. Bum knee, it’s been swollen most of the winter. It hurts when I lift, it hurts when I cycle, but it hurts AND swells from walking! I was convinced I was pushing too hard with my lower body workouts, but when I stopped walking and started driving to work - knee is better. Doctor’s appointment on Monday!
Sorry for getting off topic!
I personally like the cold dead heart comment; I wish I could come up with reasons like that!
Yeah I hadn't had very many problems with my knees lately until last week when my boxer was at the vet having teeth removed. She was put under sedation and I waited with her until she woke up and probably took her home too early because I had to carry her to and from the car. Mind you, I'm a 4'11 midget.1 -
Kathryn247 wrote: »"My bionic knees/hips are leased and if I go over 4,000 steps a day, I have to pay extra."
We have the same picture. We're cool.2 -
runnermom419 wrote: »"My focus needs to be on making sure everyone else has a great challenge!"
Definitely this.2 -
Just sign up for it and be a voluntary loser.
My work does these step challenges all the time and it's not a big deal if you don't hit the 10k steps. Would it really big that big a deal to join and only log as many steps as you get in a normal day?7 -
Why not join the challenge, and lose? If you're concerned about the cost, then that may be telling you the fee should be a bit lower anyways. Besides, if you're not walking enough, you're not walking enough.
G/L!5 -
At my job, I'm on the Living Well Committee, and we are starting a new monthly step challenge program where you pay an entry fee and the top 3 steppers win cash prizes. Hasn't been completely hashed out yet. It seems like a good way to get people active, being that something like 2/3 of people are overweight these days, probably even more in my office building. But I'm not overweight and I'm doing more weight lifting these days, so a step challenge for me would be a waste of time and money. Being that I'm on the committee that is coordinating this activity, what's a better way to tell people why I'm not joining the challenge other than saying it'll put me on the fast track to skinny-fat? I have this problem where I'm too blunt with people.
Walking and getting in steps doesn't put you on the "fast track to skinny fat"...I lift weights and also do a lot of cycling and walking and I'm far from skinny fat. I don't know who told you that, but it's a bunch of bull *kitten*.
That said, I'm sure that they can see that you're fit...you can just say you're doing other things fitness wise.6 -
Give people a choice - do that step challenge for the not so fit and something else, which you also would enjoy as an alternative. People are getting used to options and choices again despite our politicians' and leaders' best efforts.1
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Ok I guess y'all didn't catch my mild sarcasm in my original post. Mostly, I'm dealing with older ladies and I don't even want to mention weight lifting because even my own mother scoffs at weight lifting because it isn't a "lady-like" thing to do and I'll get "too muscular". (I am not muscular at all). Basically I want a light-hearted joking way to say thanks but no thanks. Even if it's a lie. Gimme a cute line to say!
Eh - my grandmother, who is in her mid 80s, does very light weight lifting once or twice a week. My mom is in her mid 60s (which I wouldn't consider especially old but I know others do) and I'm pretty sure she does the same. And no, I'm almost positive she didn't get the idea or attitude from her mom.
I do think that your being on the living well committee while also choosing not to take part in the step challenge is potentially hypocritical. It is kind of coming off as, "You all should do this because you need to but I clearly don't." Also drop the idea of "skinny fat". A. it's not a thing and b. you can both walk (or do various cardio heavy activities) and do strength training. They aren't somehow mutually exclusive. Also even if you don't up your steps, or only do so minimally, is that really so bad? What's the worst that could happen?
Obviously it's up to you as to whether or not you choose to do the challenge, but be prepared for people wondering why you're on the committee and choosing not to take your own advice.
(also no, I didn't catch your sarcasm, but I admatitly am bad at doing so on the internet with people who I haven't interacted with or whose posts I haven't seen a lot of)4 -
BrianSharpe wrote: »Being blunt with people is not a problem. Tell them straight up that your fitness objectives don't include a lot of cardio and leave it at that.
I don't think that's blunt at all. But then I grew up on the east coast.0 -
"It wouldn't be fair to the rest of you"
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