WASHINGTON (AP) _ The District of Columbia’s mayor is challenging residents to join together to walk one billion steps.

Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the FitDC One Billion Steps Challenge on Saturday at the Deanwood Recreation Center.

In addition to the one billion steps challenge the goal of the program is to encourage residents to become more active and eat healthier foods.

The city will track residents’ progress toward the one billion steps goal on the website www.fitdc.com . The city says steps will be tracked via text messages, email and tweets to the website. There will also be logs at eight department of recreation facilities throughout the city.

The city is encouraging people to walk three miles or 6,000 steps three times a week.