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A Little Healthy Competition @ AVirtuousWoman.org

A Little Healthy Competition

This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my disclosure policy here.

A Little Healthy Competition @ AVirtuousWoman.org

So a few weeks ago my husband mentioned to me that he had downloaded an app for his iPhone that would record his steps each day. Honestly, I didn’t think much of it.

I mean, I’ve been asking my husband to take walks with me for years. He rarely joined me.

Now, over the years I have had a on again/ off again relationship with walking. I’m kind of a fair-weather walker.

A Little Healthy Competition @ AVirtuousWoman.org
Our walk yesterday evening.

Which means that I like walking in the spring and fall or maybe early in the morning {or late in the evening} during summer.

A Little Healthy Competition @ AVirtuousWoman.org
We love to hike.

 

Sometimes we’ll take a walk or hike in the cold, but then I consider those special occasions – adventures – not for everyday.

A Little Healthy Competition @ AVirtuousWoman.org
Our recent walk in the snow {29 degrees}.

Anyway, so my husband stays busy and so when he’s not busy he’s tired and the last thing he usually wants to do is go for a walk.

Well, not anymore.

A Little Healthy Competition

So at first he wasn’t really putting effort into getting more steps. He was just, you know, looking at his numbers at the end of the day. But then one day he woke up and decided he had a new goal of 10,000 steps per day.

At the time I was really sick with a terrible cough and cold. That cold lasted for about two weeks. I didn’t feel like walking.

Suddenly, my husband was walking non-stop. He was walking late at night {before midnight} if he didn’t have his 10,000 steps in. He even got up at 2:30 am one morning when he couldn’t sleep and went for a walk.

Every night he would come in and “brag” about how many steps he had gotten. And honestly, I was so proud of him! He’s determined to lose weight and I’m thankful because I’ve been worried about his weight affecting his health.

My 18 year old daughter, Emily, decided that she would download the app onto her iPhone too. And she started trying to beat her dad. It got to the point that at night they were both going out to walk up and down the driveway after repeatedly comparing each others “scores” throughout the day to try and “best” each other.

And then I started feeling better. And I couldn’t let them beat me at the game. It took me a couple of weeks of getting used to always carrying my phone on my person – so often I would just set it down and forget about it so my steps weren’t being counted. I love to wear my yoga pants around the house but they don’t have pockets! So I kept forgetting about my phone.

But then my husband gave me a belt clip to keep my phone in and as nerdy as it looks, I’ve been clipping it to my waist everyday for the last few days. On Sunday I had over 15,000 steps! So far, that’s the only day I’ve “won” the competition. On Monday, my husband decided that he had to have over 15,000 steps and he ended up with over 16,000. I only got 11,433 that day.

You can see I haven’t mastered reaching my goal everyday, yet, but I’m getting there and it’s exciting! In the photo below, 3/17 is today so I haven’t had time to get all of my steps in, but I plan to go for a walk and more before the day is over!

Not only that, but now I look for ways to get in extra steps. Like, “Oh, I can take out the trash!” or “Let me run and get that laundry put away!” or “Hey, I can raise my floors by running up the stairs!” {The app keeps track of how many floors I climb.}

On Sunday I was so closet to 15,000 steps that I walked up and down the driveway {we have a long driveaway} a few times to get my steps in at 9:00 at night, but then I ended up getting 15,419 before I went to bed. My husband was proud of me! {For my stride, 15,000 steps is about 5 miles.}

A Little Healthy Competition @ AVirtuousWoman.org

Anyway, my younger girls have download a similar app onto their iPods and we’re all keeping score, seeing how many steps we can get everyday.

It’s not an mean spirited kind of competition – it’s all in good fun! And we’re getting healthier and fitter in the process!

If you don’t want to be tied to your phone, you could purchase a Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity + Sleep Wristband – my step-son wears one everyday. Or you could use a pedometer. But the Stepz App is free with ads or only $0.99 if you want to remove the occasional ad. I like that fact that we could all use devices we already use everyday anyway.

Note: I am in no way affiliate or being paid to promote this app – I just really love it! You can download the Stepz App here.

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About Melissa Ringstaff

My name is Melissa Ringstaff and I've been blogging here at A Virtuous Woman since 2001. I'm a pastor's wife and homeschooling mom living in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of Southeastern KY. I believe in finding freedom from perfection and living life with purpose and I want to help you do exactly that.

I'm so glad you've stopped by to visit with me. I hope we can be friends!

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This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my disclosure policy here.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Samanta

    March 18, 2015 at 1:16 pm

    I love the idea !!!!!!!!!!! I will invite my family to try to live this desfio
    Reply
    • Melissa Ringstaff

      March 18, 2015 at 1:49 pm

      Have fun! It's a great way to get everyone involved and getting healthier! :)
      Reply

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purposenotperfection

Freedom from perfection. 🪁
Live with purpose. ✝️
Proverbs 31 for modern women. 👱‍♀️
Wife + Mama + Homemaker + Kentucky
Life: @melissa.ringstaff

Melissa Ringstaff
Not gonna lie. 2020 was a hard year. And not just Not gonna lie. 2020 was a hard year. And not just because there was a pandemic. Our family has faced many trying times in the past but 2020 gave us some doozies.  I’m looking forward to a new year. The beginning of the new year always feels like a fresh start to me. It feels like HOPE.  But the truth is, whatever heartaches and hardships you and I were facing on Dec. 31 will most likely still be there on Jan. 1.  That’s why it’s hard to keep New Years resolutions. It’s easy to feel motivated for a few days or a couple weeks until we realize life hasn’t really changed and things are still hard.  But if we want to see real change it takes hard work and real effort. It takes showing up every day - even when it’s hard.  Whether that means working on your fractured relationships or setting healthy boundaries or cultivating self disciple... whatever that hard thing is that you need to work on ... it will only get better if you work on it.  We aren’t promised an easy life. But we are promised an “Ever Present Help in times of trouble.” Psalm 46:1  *
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#faithblogger #faithfulness #faithandfamily #bibleverseaday #christianbloggers #dailyverses #christianlife #jesuscalling #shereadstruth#proverbs31women #proverbs31life #10virtues #daughteroftheking #jesuslovesme #womenoffaith #faithquotes #proverbs31
We’re coming into the new year with all the same We’re coming into the new year with all the same problems we had in the last year. And that’s okay! Life doesn’t have to be perfect to still be amazing. Perfectionism is a joy stealer. Let’s determine to enjoy life right now in all its messiness.  I believe you can find freedom from perfection and the confidence to live your life with purpose. #purposenotperfection  #christian #Jesus #love #quotes #quoteslife #quotestoliveby #godisgood #votd #lifequotes #inspirationalquotes #life #motivationalquotes #inspiration #bible #bb #bestoftheday #happiness #wordofgod
🏠 Being a homemaker is such an important role. 🏠 Being a homemaker is such an important role. It’s a ministry to your family and all who enter your home.  But I want you to know: You don’t have to be perfect. ❤️  There’s a fine line between teaching your children to be neat and insisting on perfection. No one can meet that kind of standard and it can be detrimental to the emotional health of your family.  What we want for our homes is to provide a space that is neat and clean enough that your family and friends feel comfortable and well loved.  There is freedom in accepting the fact that you’re not perfect. Not to make excuses for slovenliness - but to give yourself grace.  It’s when we recognize our weakness that we find ourselves reaching out to Jesus to receive the power that comes only from him. As homemakers, when we can find grace for the moment when we accept His Gift.  “But now for a brief moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us an escaped remnant and to give us a peg in His holy place, that our God may enlighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our bondage. Ezra 9:8  Let His Grace wash over you, cleanse your weary heart. Homemaking isn’t about creating a perfect space. It’s about creating a home where loved ones feel cared for and nurtured. 
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#proverbs31 #proverbs31woman #purpose31 #10virtues #homemaking #homemakingministries #happyhomemaking #homemaking101 #cleanhome #cleanheart #fromchaostocalm #housekeeping #cleaningroutine #inspiredhome #makingahome #lovewhereyoudwell #homemaker #homebody #biblicalHomemaking #wearethehomemakers
❤️Your attitude about homemaking matters.⠀
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A homemaker by definition is someone who manages and makes a home. 🏠⠀
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But, anyone can clean and organize a home. ⠀
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☑️ Homemaking is about more than checking off the items on your to do list.⠀
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Learning how to be a homemaker means you learn how to make your home feel like haven of peace and love. You seek out ways to make your home feel inviting. You work at it.⠀
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There is no easy button for homemaking. There are easier, more efficient ways to do chores, but the chores still have to be done. If you live in a house, you will create the need for the house to be tidied every day and cleaned on a regular basis.⠀
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Having the right attitude about homemaking is the first step in learning how to be a homemaker.⠀
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The good news is, even if you’ve been struggling with your homemaking, you can always go to God and ask Him for help. ⠀
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He sees the unseen work of your hands. And He loves you very, very much. He wants to help you succeed. ⠀
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#proverbs31 #proverbs31woman #purpose31 #10virtues #homemaking #homemakingministries #happyhomemaking #homemaking101 #cleanhome #cleanheart #fromchaostocalm #housekeeping #cleaningroutine #inspiredhome #makingahome #lovewhereyoudwell #homemaker #homebody #biblicalHomemaking  #youngwife #housewife
🙏 If you’ve found it difficult to have a regu 🙏 If you’ve found it difficult to have a regular time with Jesus every day, you’re not alone. Lots of busy Christian women struggle to find time for a daily prayer and devotion time. ⠀
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But I still want to encourage you to start your day with God! ⠀
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⏰ If it’s hard to spend 30 minutes in the morning for a quiet time, I want you to remember you can still begin your day with God – even if that means saying a short prayer before your feet hit the floor in the morning.⠀
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✝️ I also want to encourage you to memorize this verse:⠀
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“Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.⠀
Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.” Psalm 143:8 📖⠀
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In the morning you can recite this verse and say a prayer. It doesn’t have to take a long time. Although – if you do have time – you will be greatly blessed by spending more time in prayer and devotion.⠀
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📌 Free Printable Morning Prayer Prompts on the blog today: https://avirtuouswoman.org/morning-prayer-prompts/  #linkinbio ⠀
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#faithblogger #faithfulness #faithandfamily #bibleverseaday #christianbloggers #dailyverses #christianlife #jesuscalling #shereadstruth #Christ #Church #Christian #Jesus #Jesuslover #JesusChrist #JesusisLord #CreatorGod #Devotional #verseoftheday #Love #Faith #biblestudy #God #dailydevotional
🏠 As a homemaker, one of my goals is to be inte 🏠 As a homemaker, one of my goals is to be intentional with how I plan our days. I love any opportunity to create a good memories at home for my family and guests. ⠀⠀
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📌 If you're looking to make this holiday season really special, you need to be intentional. Goodness knows 2020 has had a lot of ups and downs. And maybe you feel like it's been mostly downs. ⠀⠀
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🎄 But the holiday season is a chance to focus on celebrating the life we have right now. Things don't need to be perfect for us to celebrate life right now!!⠀⠀
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☑️ Inside the pages of my Purpose 31 holiday planner, you'll find 8 weeks of planning and cleaning all laid out for you. Recipe pages, journaling pages, and more - 120 pages total. ⠀⠀
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✏️ The Purpose 31 Holiday Planner is by far one of the most popular resource I produce each year. ⠀⠀
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Thousands of women have downloaded it over the last four years I've offered it.⠀⠀
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So, even though it's early still, you can go ahead and downlaod it. Print it out and then set it up so you're ready to go.⠀⠀
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I usually take my holiday planner down to Office Depot and have them spiral bind it with a plastic cover for about $5.00. This year, though, I just bought a new 3 ring binder at Walmart, printed off extra cover pages to slip in the clear sleeve, and created a binder with it. ⠀⠀
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📌📌📌 If you use the planner this year, be sure to share and tag me in your photos! ❤️⠀  Download: https://avirtuouswoman.org/holiday-planner/ #linkinbio
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#proverbs31 #proverbs31woman #purpose31 #10virtues #homemaking #homemakingministries #happyhomemaking #homemaking101 #cleanhome #cleanheart #fromchaostocalm #housekeeping #cleaningroutine #inspiredhome #makingahome #lovewhereyoudwell #homemaker #homebody #biblicalHomemaking #christmas #holidayplanning #planningaddict #plannercommunity #freeprintables #thanksgiving #christmastree  #plannerobsessed
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