Bay Side Home residents take on pedometer challenge

“The whole point of this is for facility-wide participation, to get people more aware and active,” said recreation director Jennifer Spencer.

Caretakers are even helping wheelchair-bound residents to participate by wearing a

pedometer for them. Spencer says through a form of ‘guided imagery’, the physically challenged are still receiving some benefits.

“If you're walking and you're telling the resident what you're doing, research now says that in a small way they are processing that as if they were doing it. It's not the same but it does make a difference,” she said.

A baseline for each participant was established the last week of September and the goal is to increase the amount of steps recorded at that time.

Prizes are being distributed weekly to participants. A grand prize of $200 will be given to a resident at the end of the challenge and the winning staff member will receive a two-night stay at Casino Nova Scotia and a Spa Interlude package.

Earlier this year Bay Side Home received a $10,000 grant from the Office of Health Promotion and Protection. A treadmill was purchased for the facility and instructors were brought in to teach yoga and weights training. The challenge, which included the distribution of 100 pedometers, was made possible through remaining funds