How to tell people I'm not joining the step challenge

2

Replies

  • TarahByte
    TarahByte Posts: 125 Member
    rosiorama wrote: »
    TarahByte wrote: »
    TarahByte 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.
  • TarahByte
    TarahByte Posts: 125 Member
    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.
  • seltzermint555
    seltzermint555 Posts: 10,740 Member
    "My focus needs to be on making sure everyone else has a great challenge!"

    Definitely this.
  • neugebauer52
    neugebauer52 Posts: 1,120 Member
    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.
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    edited March 2019
    TarahByte 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!

    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)
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    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.
  • pinuplove
    pinuplove Posts: 12,871 Member
    "It wouldn't be fair to the rest of you" :tongue:
  • Chieflrg
    Chieflrg Posts: 9,097 Member
    State that your goals are directed towards the health benefits of resistance training currently.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,627 Member
    MikePTY wrote: »
    If the entry fee is not financially prohibitive, I would still do it as a team building and moral thing even if it's not my personal fitness goals, and just be content with not winning. You still have to walk places in life, so you'll at least have some steps. But if you don't want to do it, just tell them that doing steps at the moment doesn't fit your fitness goals so you'll be happy to help organize and coordinate it but you won't be personally participating, but cheering for all those who do.

    This.

  • Psychgrrl
    Psychgrrl Posts: 3,177 Member
    A coupe of women at work were putting together a fitness program and wanted me to join them. Free personal training. I’ve been lifting for over 20 years and have my routine set. And I hate working out in the morning. I thanked them for thinking of me and said I was really happy with my current fitness routine and wouldn’t be able to join them.
  • fishgutzy
    fishgutzy Posts: 2,807 Member
    Psychgrrl wrote: »
    A coupe of women at work were putting together a fitness program and wanted me to join them. Free personal training. I’ve been lifting for over 20 years and have my routine set. And I hate working out in the morning. I thanked them for thinking of me and said I was really happy with my current fitness routine and wouldn’t be able to join them.

    I'm with you on that, except that I love swimming 4 miles in the morning at 5AM weekdays when I'm home.
    When I worked at a company that had an on site weight room that was just steps from my cubicle, I hit that every day for 45 minutes.
    Yet I would never hit 10k steps or day.
  • SummerSkier
    SummerSkier Posts: 5,142 Member
    our steps at work count toward HSA $$ contributions so it's a win win. Last year they did monthly challenges and ranked everyone. I could not for the life of me understand how anyone avg'd 40K steps per day. wow. I am glad they are not doing the competitive and public part of it again this year tho. I think eventually all the insurance programs are headed in that direction. Best of luck and tell us what you decided.
  • naomi8888
    naomi8888 Posts: 519 Member
    I participated in a step challenge in my workplace and it had an option to log "other" activity and converted to steps. ie cycling would earn you 1,000 - 2,000 steps per 10 minutes depending on effort.
    BTW - cute dog in your pic :)
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    edited March 2019
    I’m an independent contractor, so haven’t worked in a typical office environment for many years. So I’m still trying to get my head around why employees have to pay to participate in an employer sponsored challenge. The other question is what is the requirement/expectation for committee members to participate in the events they plan? It seems that you could enter the challenge without giving up your current workout routine. You don’t have to play to win and I would think committee members wouldn’t be eligible to win their own event.
  • yayamom3
    yayamom3 Posts: 939 Member
    our steps at work count toward HSA $$ contributions so it's a win win. Last year they did monthly challenges and ranked everyone. I could not for the life of me understand how anyone avg'd 40K steps per day. wow. I am glad they are not doing the competitive and public part of it again this year tho. I think eventually all the insurance programs are headed in that direction. Best of luck and tell us what you decided.

    We have this at my employer as well. Last year, I WAS that crazy person who took first place every single month. (I walked 1,000,000+ steps/month). I've never been good at or won much of anything before. I figured out that this was a way I could finally excel and be the best at something. It ended up consuming me, though, and became even more mentally exhausting than physical. This year, I'm still counting my steps and earning $$ for it, but I'm no longer participating in the challenges.
  • icemom011
    icemom011 Posts: 999 Member
    mph323 wrote: »
    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 :o

    Of all of the examples of cheating, how's running in place cheating? Plus the "cycling steps"? At least person doing it is actively moving, and that's ultimately the point of the challenge, correct? I would think sitting on the couch and moving your arm is cheating, but other activities can be figured into steps without calling it cheating.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
    Panini911 wrote: »

    you can also walk AND lift (not at the same time...)

    Farmer’s Walk

    Now the number of steps may not be great - but I would be curious to see what kind of distance was calculated from those impacts.
    Let's see, expected impact weight based on 140 lbs at given stride length is say 200 lbs. Impact of 350 occurs, so stride must have been....
  • dolliesdaughter
    dolliesdaughter Posts: 544 Member
    Get off the committee.
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,205 Member
    edited March 2019
    How much is the entry fee? If I was on the committee, I would participate even if I lost. You don’t have to aim to win but you can celebrate with other participants succeeding in making SOME progress in movement. Just my opinion. Does participating require buying a FitBit or something?
  • csplatt
    csplatt Posts: 1,205 Member
    I also like the idea of what someone said before, that you have some other goals for yourself right now but you’re still excited for the program and for future programs.
  • Wen2Run
    Wen2Run Posts: 62 Member
    Sign up.
    Strap the pedometer to your ankle.
    While at work tap you foot all day long.
    Register 20k-30k+ steps a day.
    Continue to lift
    Win the prize.

    winner winner :)
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    edited April 2019
    Did OP tell us what she decided to do? @TarahByte