Idaho's legislators are stepping up when it comes to exercise and supporting local schools.
For the third year, Idaho legislators are urged to walk as much as they can during the month of February and track steps with a FitBit.
Lawmakers are competing with one another to get the most steps as part of the Steps for Schools challenge. Winning legislators earn cash for schools in their districts. The money funds physical activity equipment or walking programs at schools.
House Minority Leader Mat Erpelding, D-Boise, won the challenge in 2015 and came in second place in the 2016 competition.
"During the legislative session, when you start to get tired, it's easy to skip your daily walk or your daily run," Erpelding says. "I use it to benefit schools... but then there's that personal incentive. This is important to me as a human, as a legislator, that I want to live a healthy life."
All legislators who average a recommended 10,000 steps per day earn $350. Legislators with the highest total step counts earn $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 respectively.
You can track the steps of your local legislator on the Steps for Schools site. Step totals are updated every Friday during the month of February.
