The holidays can be a tough time to stay active and healthy. So, now is the time to finish off the last of your cravings and desserts and buckle down for the OFAC Fitness Challenge.

A Final Dessert

Each year we put together a competition to encourage health and fitness in a fun, lively atmosphere with a little competitive spirit thrown in as well. This contest has grown in number every year and each year is a bit different. It has been my pleasure to organize this year’s challenge with help from our friends at Baseline Fitness.

This year we are going to use social media and our OFAC Facebook site to help coordinate and update everyone on the contest over its 3 months. Sorry, you will need a facebook account to view the postings I believe.

Here are some details:

• Contest open to all ‘friends of OFAC’- everyone is welcome to participate. The more the merrier.
• Contest runs from Jan 4 to March 31. Yeah, I know—IT’S 3 MONTHS LONG! Only the strong survive.
• RSVP to Katie Allen @ OFAC to confirm you’re joining  allenkm@orthofootankle.com
• Coordinate with Eve Ann @ Baseline Fitness to complete your BOD POD which is a body analysis of lean muscle and body fat content. We’ll do this as a ‘weigh-in’ at the beginning of the contest and another at the end as a ‘weigh-out’. ‘Weigh in’ has to be done by Jan 1.
• You’ll need a pedometer. You can use your own or get one from Eve Ann @ Baseline. One that measures steps for a week is preferable and easier on you.

We will have a Weigh Out Party in early April to celebrate everyone’s improvement and announce the winner!

• This party will feature all the fried food, carbs and sugar laden treats you’ll be skipping on during the contest. This is a nice reward for a job well done.

Here’s how the competition will work:

Points will be calculated by-

• 20% BOD POD- you’re raw numbers won’t be published or identified. We’re looking at who can make the greatest improvement in loss of % body fat- % body fat is changed by losing fat and/or gaining lean muscle–either way, you make positive change to this number.
• 20% Pedometer steps- steps need to be recorded and reported on a weekly basis via email to Katie Allen allenkm@orthofootankle.com First email report to Katie will be Sunday, Jan 10 and every Sunday night after that. If you don’t report, you don’t get credit.
• 20% January Weekly Fitness Events- Each week will have a new ‘Fitness Event’ to perform. It can be done anytime during that week. These events are designed to promote health, wellness and camaraderie amongst contestants. Everyone of all activity levels will be able to perform.  Each Sunday night, starting January 3rd, the event and description will be posted on to the OFAC Columbus Facebook Site . Most events will require you to upload photo evidence to the Facebook site that you completed the event. If you don’t prove you did it, you can’t get credit for that week’s event.
• 20% February Weekly Fitness Events- same rules as January
• 20% March Weekly Fitness Events- same as Feb.

I hope everyone will consider joining this year’s contest! I think with the addition of a new event each week, we should have more fun than ever before!

Good luck—see you at the Weigh Out Celebration Party

Christopher Hyer, DPM, FACFAS

Orthopedic Foot&Ankle Center