With the holidays fast on us, you or someone you love is likely going to be looking into different fitness plans and if you’ve heard a lot about 10,000 steps but always wondered why, let’s talk about the why here.
Activity is positive and good. Any activity is better than none. 10,000 steps are the goal because the average sedentary person walks less than 3,000 steps a day at maximum. But it’s not just the steps themselves, it’s the way of thinking, acting and being. By making the commitment to 10,000 steps a day, a person is increasing their level of activity through the most common form of exercise: walking.
In the fast food world of immediate gratification, remote controls and easy access, walking can often seem like a waste of time. While you may not want to walk across a long parking lot to the store and would rather drive around in circles until a spot opens up right in front, the fact is adding a few steps to your everyday routine can improve your physical, mental and emotional health.
Walking is very easy and 10,000 steps a day burn 500 calories. 500 calories may not seem like much when the average venti nonfat mocha from Starbuck’s has 390 calories and the average fast food meal has more than 700. But increasing your level of physical activity increases your metabolism. A metabolism that runs at peak can burn calories more efficiently.
10,000 steps are a goal, a program and a way of life. It promotes a healthier lifestyle with real, achievable goals that don’t require an expensive gym membership or the purchasing of a lot of equipment. Achieving 10,000 steps only requires a good pair of running shoes, a pedometer, the will to succeed and a little creativity.
For example:
- Keep the remote next to the television; get up to change the channel.
- Take your dog for long walks.
- Take a long walk by yourself, with a friend, a neighbor, your child or your spouse.
- Don’t drive around in circles looking for a parking spot, just park further out and walk the extra steps.
- Skip the elevator and take the stairs.
- Take a walking lunch break or fifteen minutes to walk a brisk circuit.
Walking can clear the mind, while exercising the body. Don’t be discouraged if the thought of a lot of extra steps is daunting. A beginning weightlifter can’t be expected to pump 400 lbs nor could a first time swimmer imagine swimming a relay race. As with anything, it’s practice, practice, and practice. The 10,000 steps promote that practice through increasing your level of activity incrementally.
10,000 are a goal. 10,000 burns 500 calories and covers 5 miles. 10,000 steps are a signpost on the road to better health, fitness and self. So whether the goal is endurance, weight loss, muscle tone or simply maintenance, it only takes one step to get started towards the mark.
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