November 9, 2018
Doris proves that you can be a champion with walking
These boots are made for walkin’
Doris is one of the winners of the Every Step Counts Challenge. Her story is exciting and encouraging. An active lifestyle is very important to Doris and below, she explains us the benefits of regular exercise. She also describes how dacadoo has been motivating her in being more active and how it helped her win the challenge.
Being active and keep moving is very important.
“I am not an athlete. At least not in the sense you would imagine one. I like kickboxing, running and high-intensity interval training (HIIT), but not at any level I could boast about. Still, keeping my body moving is a very important part of my day.”
Doris walked more than 2 million steps during the Every Step Counts Challenge. (Just so you know, 2 million steps correspond to 1500 kilometers. Wow!). How did she manage?
“Desk is pest” they say, and for a reason. I am lucky to have a not typical desk job – and when I am at my desk it’s in my home office – and so I can get up from my chair and sneak in a few steps every hour. Well, it turned out to become about 2 million steps during the dacadoo “Every Step Counts” Challenge. How is this possible? Like I said, I’m neither an ultra endurance runner nor a mountaineer, I just function better when walking.
In 2017, I decided to go back to University. And honestly, at the age of 44 it took me quite some time to get used to learning in an academic fashion again. Page per page I figured, again, it’s best for me to do it whilst walking. So, I typed all the content in a flashcard app, put on my favorite boots (old, worn out, but super comfy), and went for a walk, doing biochemistry Q & As. Day in, day out. The walks got longer and more frequent, the steps piled up and my brain got better at studying.”
How did dacadoo and the challenge help and give the motivation to do more and ultimately strive for the challenge Top 10?
“I wouldn’t have imagined going after a prize, I thought it was unattainable for someone like me. But when I saw I could do better than just participating, dacadoo got me fired up. And honestly, I became a bit ambitious to finish at least in the Top 10. So my boots and I took it up a notch (and this is why they wear the medal in the picture, they truly deserve it, too).
This is how 2 million steps came about – and some pretty successful 2nd term exams, by the way.”
A piece for advice for the readers?
“The takeaway: I know now my mind likes to study while walking – it’s mentally energizing and relaxing at the same time. And it’s a great, almost invisible plus to my weekly regular workouts of kickboxing and running. I know now you can be a champion without fancy equipment, grim training or fierce competition. Just take your boots and mind for a walk – and do it consistently. It’s more in for you than you might think. And I’m utterly thankful that dacadoo keeps me moving every day.”
