Take fitness. Does it really matter exactly how many steps you took, or how fast you ran that training mile?

Sometimes it does, but if your goal is to improve your fitness, maybe what you really need to do is focus on something simple, like getting outdoors.

That’s the idea behind Blipic’s Sunshine Challenge, which wraps up this week with a celebration on the lawn in front of the Seaholm Power Plant.

The event takes place noon to 3 p.m. Saturday on the lawn, 800 West Cesar Chavez Street, and will feature tents and tables manned by challenge sponsors, plus activities like an easy run around Lady Bird Lake, yoga and some good old-fashioned lawn games. The public is invited; kids and pets are welcome.

Chris Eddy, an Austin tech worker and creator of an online interactive fitness platform called Blipic, created the challenge, which has drawn about 100 participants.

I love the grassroots nature of what Eddy is doing. 

Blipic’s goal is to get people moving. Unlike some corporate wellness programs, it’s not intimidating and feels attainable, even to folks who don’t regularly log miles on the hike-and-bike trail or swim laps. And aren’t those the people who need it most?

It feels more like a social platform than tracking fitness – you can tap into a local feed of photos taken by other Blipic members, and learn about fun and cool places to visit in the area. It’s easy to find organized activities like walks or workouts, volunteer opportunities and parks to visit.

As we talked at a bench atop the Pfluger Bridge last week, he checked his watch. Even minutes spent outside chatting with friends count in the Sunshine Challenge.

“The goal is to get folks outdoors, healthy and connected,” Eddy says. “We’re trying to build community.”

For more information about Blipic, go to https://blipic.co.