It's challenge time! Form your team for a fitter fall!

The Walking Example Group members and Bassett Healthcare employees are celebrating October as designated walking month with a bit of friendly competition and we're inviting everyone to join us. Everyone is a winner in the Walktober Challenge, with increased activity and increased awareness of the habits that contribute to well being as the ultimate goal. Tangible rewards, a celebratory walk in the woods at the conclusion of the contest and a serenade to the first place participants with a holiday song, serve as great incentives and add spice to everyone's efforts.

Each week of October is assigned a theme, beginning with "Scuttle the Shuttle," encouraging Bassett employees to walk the approximate mile from the Clark Sports Center parking area to the hospital. The same principal applies to all participants, if you work at Bassett or not: look for opportunities to skip the ride and WALK. The second week will be "Walk for Socks" when activity leaders will receive Thorlo socks, followed by the "Most Improved Walker" week and finishing with "Best Small Change Idea." Each week will feature prizes and trivia contests.

A great added bonus to this challenge is that step credit is available for activities other than walking. Enter the time you spend bowling or dancing or playing basketball in the conversion chart at www.americaonthemove and add step credit to your total.

Complementing the activity challenge is a virtual walk along the Appalachian Trail, the route so brilliantly recounted in Bill Bryson's book, "A Walk in the Woods." By logging onto the America on the Move website, www.americaonthemove.org you can plot your progress from Maine to Alabama, picking up geographical and historical factoids along the way. Culminating the Walktober Challenge will be a walk for all participants in our nearby woods at Gilbert Lake State Park, complete with picnic.

Progress will be charted on the WE-GO website, www.we-go.org. Not online? Not to worry. Call in your steps to the WE-GO office or at Bassett. The local papers will publish the activity leaders and where we are in the Appalachians.

All Walktober participants are invited to attend a holiday tea at Bassett in December, where everyone will serenade the team with the most steps, singing "Walking in a Winter Wonderland."

For full program details or if you need a pedometer, check we-go.org or call our office at 607-547-2893. Bassett participants will find instructions in the staff bulletin.

Though all seasons have their attributes, autumn is especially walker friendly, with invigorating temperatures, inspiring surroundings and walkways absent of winter ice and spring mud. The Walktober Challenge is a fun and entertaining motivation for an active autumn and we invite everyone to join us.

Brenda Berstler is the founder of the Walking Example Group (WE-GO) a non-profit organization encouraging walking and walkable communities. Visit their website at www.we-go.org.