Posted: Wednesday, February 29, 2012 12:45 am | Updated: 4:35 pm, Tue Feb 28, 2012.

It was Danene Dustins competitive spirit that led her to ask two neighbors, Do you want to do a fitness challenge?

In early January, the North Logan resident heard these neighbors comment that they had gained weight during the holiday season. Dustin, who says she gained several pounds over the holidays, threw out the idea of a challenge to motivate them to shed those extra pounds. By the end of that week, she had organized the 2012 Health and Fitness Challenge.

The eight-week program has 39 paying members, each giving $20 to equal a sum of $780 that will be divided among group members who complete a part the challenge. A treadmill, donated by Icon Health and Fitness, is also up for grabs. For Dustin, who had no idea what the challenge would entail when she suggested it, it has become more than I ever expected this to turn into.

Sunday, March 4, marks the formal end of the challenge.

Each participant came up with personal goals to accomplish in the eight weeks. Goals range from finding balance in life to exercising more frequently. In addition to working toward those goals, Dustin gives the group weekly challenges. These have included sleeping a minimum of seven hours every night, drinking 64 ounces of water every day and flossing daily and brushing your teeth for a minimum of two minutes morning and night.

I would do as much research as I could leading up to the new challenge and try and find things to back what I said, so it wasnt just me saying, I think you should get seven hours of sleep, Dustin said.

As the eight weeks come to a close, Dustin is shifting focus for the final weekly challenge. Rather than something healthful, everyone is challenged to complete an act of service. She said people are already serving their family and community, so she expects service performed as part of this to be over and beyond that. Dustin said being healthy and feeling energized is key to doing service.

You cant serve and do all these wonderful things in life to help other people unless you take care of you, so I dont want it to be ultimately yes, I look great, I feel great, oh, its all about me. Ultimately, it should be about everybody else, she said.

Dustin has completed every challenge. Her personal goal is to lose 14 pounds. She says she is more than halfway there, but considering there is less than a week left, Dustin doesnt think shell make it, and thats OK.

Excerpt from:
North Logan neighbors join in 'fitness challenge'