Annabel Bowden

My Activity Tracking

69,535
Steps

My target 100000 Steps

Step Up for Smart Works 2026

Smart Works is a UK charity that dresses and coaches unemployed women for their job interview. They give women the confidence they need to unlock their potential, secure employment and transform their lives.

In the last year, 68% of clients who accessed Smart Works' support went on to secure employment.

At Smart Works Greater Manchester Step Up for Smart Works will help support women across the north-west who are preparing for interviews and working to rebuild their confidence after periods of unemployment. Last year, we supported 1,120 unemployed women through our employment services.

Between the 1st and 10th of May, I will be Stepping Up for Smart Works. Every step helps fund confidence, clothing and coaching for women facing the greatest barriers to work. I would appreciate anything you are able to give to this important charity.

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My Achievements

Has Fundraising Page

Shared Fundraising Page

Updated Profile Pic

Added a Blog Post

Received 5 Donations

£30 Raised

Reached 50% of Fundraising Target

Reached Fundraising Goal

Increased Target

3 Fitness Activities logged

100k Steps Reached

50% of Steps Target Reached

Reached Steps Goal

My Updates

Day 8

Saturday 9th May

Day 8 🚶‍♀️

Today was genuinely hard work. Didn't have that Friday feeling at all!

Most of the steps came from pacing around the house, short bursts of movement, and a fair bit of standing still and stepping on the spot. Not glamorous, not scenic, just determined effort.

It wasn’t a big “out and about” day, but it was consistent. And sometimes that’s what it takes.

Finished on 7,712 steps 🙌 Not quite 10k, but a solid push considering it was mostly home-based movement.

Day 8: quiet grind, steady effort, and still moving forward 💛

Day 7

Thursday 7th May

Day 7 🚶‍♀️

Back in the office at Alderley Park again today 💻 but this time it was back to back meetings.

The lunchtime walk never happened, so the step strategy became:

- unnecessarily long trips to the loo 🚶‍♀️

- random walks around the office between calls

- and generally trying to look busy while secretly chasing steps

Despite my finest corridor laps, I’ve only managed just under 6,000 steps today 🙃

Not my strongest performance, but considering I spent most of the day attached to Teams calls, I’m taking it.

Day 7: less walking challenge, more corporate endurance event 💛

Day 6

Wednesday 6th May

Day 6 🚶‍♀️

Back into a better rhythm today.

Worked from the office at Alderley Park 💻 and managed to fit in a proper lunchtime walk 🌤️ which made a big difference after yesterday’s sitting marathon.

The rest of the steps have been a mix of general moving about… and some determined standing in front of the TV this evening, stomping along while watching the soaps 📺 (anything counts at this point).

Should finish just under 9,000 steps 🙌 Close again, just not quite over the line, very frustrating! It's so much harder than I expected but I'm not giving up!

Day 6: a definite improvement, with a slightly unusual evening step strategy 💛

Day 4

Wednesday 6th May

Day 4 🚶‍♀️

Back outdoors again today, I went to Tegg’s Nose Country Park with Freddie and Derrick 🌿

Lots of fresh air, plenty of walking, and a few hills thrown in for fun! A nice change from pacing around the house, even if my legs had a quiet word with me about it later.

Nothing too fast, just steady steps and a good wander.

Finished on 8,391 steps 🙌 Still just under 10k, but consistently getting there.

Day 4: fresh air, a few hills, and keeping things moving 💛

Day 5

Wednesday 6th May

Day 5 🚶‍♀️

Well… this one didn’t quite go to plan.

First day of challenge working from home 💻 and, in a moment of pure optimism (or poor judgement), I booked far too many meetings into one day. The result? A lot of sitting, a lot of talking, and not a lot of stepping.

Before I knew it, the day had disappeared and my step count was… 4,264 😬

A bit of a disastrous day on the step front, but a good reminder that this challenge might need slightly better scheduling (and fewer back-to-back calls).

No scenic walks, no dramatic sprints, just me, my laptop, and a step counter quietly losing faith!

Day 5: not my finest performance, but we go again tomorrow 💛

Day 3

Monday 4th May

Day 3 🚶‍♀️

A really nice day...we started with a McFlurry 🍦 (priorities), then headed to Redesmere to see the ducks 🦆 and get some fresh air.

The highlight though... Freddie was feeling a bit better and managed a little ride on his bike 🚲 So I ran alongside him, only about 20 metres, but considering I haven’t run in years, it felt like a big moment.

It definitely wasn’t graceful, and I did briefly think I might pass out… but I did it 💪

A good mix of gentle walking, fresh air, a tiny bit of unexpected cardio, and some bonus steps from stomping on the spot while feeding the ducks and, naturally, doing the same in my kitchen later.

Day 3: small steps, small wins, and a little bit of progress 💛

Day 2

Saturday 2nd May

Day 2 🚶‍♀️

A definite upgrade from yesterday, we made it out and into the town centre 🎉

Freddie’s still recovering after his hospital stay 🏥, so we kept it short and gentle, but the outing included two key essentials: an ice cream 🍦 and a Hot Wheels car 🚗 (arguably the true motivation behind the trip).

The indoor pacing is still doing a lot of the heavy lifting, but it was nice to swap the living room laps for actual streets, even briefly 🌤️

Ended the day on around 6500 steps 🙌 Not quite 10k, but heading in the right direction!

Progress… powered by sugar and small cars 💛

Day 1

Friday 1st May

Day 1 of my 10,000-steps-a-day challenge has almost come to an end🚶‍♀️✨ and it’s safe to say it hasn’t quite matched the original vision!

My son, Freddie, was admitted to hospital on Tuesday 🏥 (a plot twist I definitely didn’t factor into my fitness journey), and although he’s now been discharged 🙏, he’s still not well. So for now, we’re mostly housebound and taking things very gently 🏡 Which means my step challenge has begun… just in a slightly more “compact” setting.

Today’s highlights include:

- The classic “check on Freddie every five minutes” pacing loop 👀

- Several unnecessary but committed trips to the kitchen 🍪

- And an impressive number of laps triggered by “I’m sure I just had my phone?” 📱

We did, however, make a short and very exciting trip to the coffee shop ☕, a brief outing that felt like a full expedition. Fresh air! People! A queue! Honestly, thrilling.

Back at home, it’s been less “power walk” and more “indoor shuffle,” and I’m fairly certain I’ve walked the length of the living room 600 times today. At this point, I’m circling the house like a mildly stressed penguin 🐧

That said… I’ve managed around 5,000 steps 🙌 Not the full 10,000, but given the circumstances (and the limited geography), I’m taking that as a solid effort.

Was this the Day 1 I imagined? Not even slightly. Does it still count? Absolutely, it’s my challenge and I make the rules. So we’ll call this a soft launch. Less scenic routes, more sofa circuits. Less “fitness influencer,” more “accidental step collector.”

The rest will come, eventually, enthusiastically, and probably in a slightly frantic catch-up after the 10th May 📅

For now, Day 1 is done… powered by patience, persistence, and a surprising amount of walking in very small circles 💛