Boots were made for walkin’

Trail blazing Yandi fitness advocates are setting the pace for others to follow by kick-starting a second exercise challenge following on from Be Active.

The enthusiasm to get fit and stay healthy by exercising regularly has spread like wildfire through the site, with many Be Active participants averaging more than 15,000 steps a day.

Heath advisor David Prout said up to 30 people regularly run between the camp and site (5.6 kilometres each way) and also take part in social sports programmes.

Yandi’s fitness activities have something for everyone offering ultimate frisbee, soccer, lawn bowls, dodgeball, pilates, swim training, basketball and touch footy. And as if that’s not enough, a boxercise class is on the horizon.

David said: We rotate through the sports and there is a game on most nights. After social sports, about half of us stay behind as a group and go for a run. I’m a reasonably fit person, and I’m definitely getting fitter!

“I think people really enjoy being active after work and there is the social side of it too. Quite a few people are showing an interest in the City to Surf half marathon event next month.”

David said the feedback had been very encouraging, with some participants simply happy to shed a few kilos while others have discovered new goals in their lives.

Be Active – the results are in!

Western Australian sandgropers have proved once again that when the going gets tough, the tough get going!

With ten teams in the final 55, our Be Active challengers can hold their heads high in the “step around Australia and New Zealand” ten-week event.

Health advisor Leanne Harvey commented that many competitors regularly beat the daily challenge of 10,000 steps and boosted their fitness levels with gym workouts, daily runs and sporting activities.

“The best result for the Pilbara Health team is hearing people talk about how the challenge has changed their activity levels,” Leanne said.

The Western Australian Be Active top five saw the ‘Try Hardlys’, a team of long term planners aged from 36 to 50, rip across the finishing line to 13th position. Challengers from Yandi came in at 19th while ‘Maree and the Foot Soldiers’ marched into 27th position.

“Achieving 13th position is a great outcome and it all came about because of Phil Mullan. He suffered a heart attack a few months ago and it was his idea to pull a team together and get fit,” Try Hardlys team player Tony Toledo said.

According to Tony, the closely-knit Quadrant team are lighter, fitter and stronger as a result of competing in the challenge. Other members of the team were Adam Glenister and Allen Knapp.

Stealing the limelight for Western Australia in the Premier Top 5 were the Hedgewigs (featured in Pilbara Health last month). In the final line-up, the West Angelas challengers ranked 14th on the leader board.

Be Active Top 5

Premier Top 5

Be Active fact file

Average steps per team per challenge level

• Be Active Average (daily) – 30, 905
• Premier (daily) – 45, 991

Average steps per team member per challenge level

• Be Active (daily) – 7, 950
• Premier (daily) – 11, 771

Average waist measurement per challenge

• Be Active - Male = 94.90cm (week 9), 94.11cm (week 10)
• Be Active - Female = 83.0cm (week 9), 77.95cm (week 10)
• Premier - Male = 131cm (week 9), 111.22cm (week 10)
• Premier - Female = 75.00cm (week 9), 66cm (week 10) – only one entry

Be Active winners

Congratulations to the final winners of the Be Active random prize draw, rewarding challengers who achieved an average of 10,000 steps a day over a two-week period.

The lucky winners bag a selection of goodies ranging from MP3 players, backpacks and hammocks to shower radios and lunchboxes.

Some of the lucky winners are:

• Kirsty Liddicoat, operators planner, West Angelas
• Agata Piwowarek, warehouse administrator, Yandi RTP
• Ellen Hilsz, active lifestyle coordinator, Marandoo
• Barry Jilbert, manager water effectiveness, Perth
• Julie Culverwell, human resources consultant, Expansion Projects
• Kirsten Estcourt, approvals coordinator, Perth