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ChallengeME will help you discover ways to be more active during the day at home and at work — like stretching more, short walks, and taking the stairs. You’ll add muscle and improve your stamina, even with just a little exercise.

Seasonal Readiness Shorts

Seasonal Readiness Training Guide

Seasonal Readiness 2021 Video

Walking and Hiking Information

Walking is free and can be done any place! Activation Station has many links to great walks and hikes for the whole family! Check it out!

10 Benefits of Walking

  • It Sharpens your Brain:  Studies have shown walking to help you think better and clearer
  • It Strengthens your Bones:  Walking can help strengthen bones and reduce your risk of osteoporosis. One Nurses’ Health study found that women who walked for a minimum of 4 hours a week saw a 40% reduced risk of hip fractures.
  • It Boosts your Mood:  Walking has shown to improve your mood and decrease stress levels.  The scenery can put your mind in a state of meditation.
  • It Enhances your Circulation:  Walking is great for the heart.  It can lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk for stroke.
  • It Reduces your Risk for Tripping and Falling:  Regular walking can improve balance and strength through muscle development.
  • It Bolsters your Memory:  Walking regularly appears to help specifically bolster the hippocampus, the part of the brain involved in verbal memory and learning.
  • Lesson the Pain of Conditions Like Arthritis and Fibromyalgia:  The moderate, low-impact nature of walking is enough to lower pain and improve function for most. 
  • It Improves your Blood Glucose Levels:  One study published in the journal Diabetes Care found that a brief 15-minute walk after a meal was as effective at lowering blood sugar levels in 24 hours as a longer 45-minute walk.
  • It Raises your Immunity:  Stay healthy with daily steps. A walk every day may even help your body fend off illness better
  • It Improves your Sleep:  Walking may help you fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly, especially if you suffer from insomnia. A morning walk outdoors may be particularly beneficial since exposure to daylight can help you stay in tune with your natural circadian rhythms.

Walking and Hiking Trails in Maine

Walking and Hiking Apps

Desk Exercises

Upper and Lower Body Stretches

Desk Leg Raises

Sit upright in your chair. Raise both legs so that they are parallel to the floor. Slowly lower your legs until they are hovering an inch or two above the ground. Hold the position for as long as you can, and then release.

Football Fast Feet

Sit in your desk chair with your feet flat on the ground. Rapidly tap your feet in place, just like you would do if you were running in place. Do this for 30 seconds. Pause. Then do it for another 30 seconds. Work this in every half hour or so to get that blood circulating.

Shadow Boxing

This exercise will give a boost to your heart rate and bring in some cardio, but it will also be a good stress release for you. Raise your fists up in front of your face in a boxing position — while you’re sitting a safe distance away from your computer. Punch your fists forward in the air, as if you are using a punching bag, switching back and forth from right arm to left. Do this for 30 seconds. Pause. Repeat for 30 seconds. Try this throughout your work day.

The Leaning Plank

This exercise requires you do get up from your desk chair, but it can be great while you’re waiting in line for the coffee machine or the microwave, or in those few minutes when everyone has left the conference room after a meeting. This is a variant on a plank exercise, using a very similar form. Step back so that you are at least a foot away from a wall and then lean forward against it using only your forearms for support. Hold this position as long as you can.

For a variant, get into the leaning position and lower yourself until your shoulders almost touch the wall, too, and push yourself back up.