Do blind people walk more than the average person? Let’s find out!

Beth and Whitney, racking up the stepsWithout being able to drive, I’ve always thought that blind people who use guide dogs — especially those of us who live in big cities — must walk more than the average person does. Now I have a chance to prove it!

Easter Seals Headquarters started a six-week “Walk For U, Go The Extra Mile” challenge last Monday as part of its wellness program. Every employee received a free pedometer to keep track of their progress for six weeks, and those of us who meet the daily goal of 7,000 steps per day — a distance of 3.5 miles — throughout the entire six weeks will be entered into a drawing to win a six-month fitness club membership.

The human resources department here realized I wouldn’t be able to read the number of steps I’d taken each day on my own, so they ordered a special talking pedometer for me — it says my results out loud. And so, I’m on my way to prove my theory.

To apply to train with a Seeing Eye dog, you must be “capable of walking one to two miles a day.” Those of us who live in cities with our guide dogs can’t simply open a sliding glass patio door to let our dogs out. I take my Seeing Eye dog Whitney down the street, around the corner and to her favorite tree at least four times a day. That’s 1,000 steps per trip. And for the rest of the day, well, running errands in a city is like using one big treadmill. My talking pedometer counted out 12,157 steps the day I walked to Walgreens to pick up prescriptions, and that included a safety shortcut I took each way to cross State Street. Rather than deal with traffic, Whitney and I go down the subway stairs on one side, traverse under State Street, then come up the stairs on the other side. The way I look at it, every el station is a StairMaster.

This is only the first week, but thanks to my talking pedometer, I’m up to the challenge. I plan to keep you posted on my results as we go along — stay tuned!


 

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