It has never been easier to help Cochrane rise to the top in the nationwide ParticipACTION Community  Challenge.

The annual challenge runs from June 1 to 30 and this year is being spearheaded locally by the SLS Centre with the support of other organizations. It encourages people to become active and track their activities through the Participaction app. 

Participaction's goal is to get Canadians moving, no matter the activity. Walking to the grocery store, doing yard work, running, biking, dancing, or any other physical activity can be counted as "move minutes."

The more move minutes recorded during the challenge, the better the chances of Cochrane having a shot at the $100,000 national prize or one of the other smaller ones.

"The potential challenge prize is really exciting if Cochrane were to receive it," says Brooke Sabourin, "but it's also just a great way to get everyone involved, help people track their move minutes and just get everyone up, moving, and enjoying everything that we have to offer and everywhere else that Cochrane has to offer."

She says to app makes it easier to record minutes.

"The app is pretty user-friendly. You can tie it to your Google Fit, your Fitbit, or your Garmin product. All three of those respond to the app, so it will track the minutes for you. You just go in every day and track what you did that day."

Even if you don't have the app, you can participate. 

"Because not everyone wants to add another app to their phone or do all these things, we have a whiteboard when you first come in where you can just write your name and your minutes. As an organization, we're allowed to record those on your behalf and then we submit our organization's minutes every day."

The SLS Centre's fitness team has started its own internal challenge to see who records more move minutes. They're also appearing in a series of plugs on the centre's social media and encouraging patrons to participate.

If that doesn't get you, these incentive prizes just might.

"We're doing our own local competition where you can win a Garmin watch or you can win a $200 credit towards an SLSC program here or three hours of SLSC personal training," explains Lisa Hyde, SLS marketing & communications manager.

"You can post a picture of yourself and/or your friends, on our Facebook page, or even just comment to let us know how you're moving. Then you'll be entered into a draw to win one of these fabulous prizes."

There are 218 communities participating across the nation. As of 1 p.m. today, Cochrane is seventh in Alberta.

More details on the Community Challenge, as well as other SLS Centre activities, can be found here.