In an effort to address the growing concern of childhood overweight and obesity, the Kent County Health Department (KCHD) launched a pilot program called Kent Steps Up! Kent Steps Up! (KSU) is designed to increase physical activity and encourage healthy behaviors through a fun, pedometer-based competition for 3rd and 4th graders. In 2007, KSU was offered to schools located in northern Kent County which was the pilot area. Schools located in the pilot area and agreeing to participate include Cedar Springs, Comstock Park, Kent City, Northview and Rockford.

Kent Steps Up! is a four-week competition that encourages kids to “step up” their physical activity and take at least 10,000 steps each day. The kids will use a pedometer, which is a step counter that counts each step made.

Why 10,000 steps? The U.S. Surgeon General recommends people get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. Walking 10,000 steps a day easily meets this requirement. The great benefit of the 10,000 steps-a-day program is that it creates a lifestyle of being active, instead of trying to “make time” each day to get your 30 minutes of exercise in.

The 2008 KSU competition begins April 28th and ends May 23rd. The targeted schools for this years challenge include elementary schools that are participating in the Kent County Coordinated School Health Program, or those who’ve completed the Healthy School Action Tool (HSAT). Each child who enrolls in the program will receive a free pedometer which will be theirs to keep at the end of the program. Each day, students will record their step totals on their activity log. At the end of the week, students will give their activity logs to their teacher for entry into a secure on-line database. The top two schools will receive $500 to use towards an item that encourages physical activity or nutrition and t-shirts will be given to students who successfully complete the program.