10,000 Steps: Walking Your Way To Health and Fitness
It can't be that simple! Everyone knows that Health and Fitness equals Exercise and Exercise is hard work! It requires special clothes, complicated formulas involving heart rates and body mass index's, expensive equipment, sweat and most of all, pain. Lots of it. It couldn't be as simple as… walking. It is!
We've all heard how sedentary our lives have become but have you really thought about how little you move in a day? How often do you take the stairs or park a few spaces further away from the entrance to the mall? Once you arrive at work, do you have to leave your cubicle/office at all? If you do, how far is the cafeteria anyway? That's why gaining fitness is as easy as doing a little more of something you've done since you were a baby.
So what is the 10,000 steps about? It is the number of steps per day the average person is supposed to need for improved health and fitness. It equates to about five miles. Do not panic! That is the amount for the average person. If you are only walking 1000 steps per day, moving up to 1500 steps per day will be more than enough for awhile.
You do not have to do all of that walking at once. This can be broken up into several short sessions throughout the day. You should also look for opportunities to add steps. Walk around the office while you are on a call. Park further from entrances. Go to the mall and walk around an entire level (just don't take your checkbook with you or an inexpensive fitness routine may be come very costly!).
For those of you who must have an equipment list, charts, graphs and calculations, here you go.
Equipment required:
One good pair of walking shoes
(Two pair allows for rotation, extending wear time and improving foot health.)
A pedometer
Clothing suitable for the weather conditions
Some place to walk.
Your shoes should fit well, particularly at the heel, provide sufficient arch support and allow the expansion of the foot that is the natural result of walking.
The pedometer can be a simple step counter without the mileage conversion. They come in analog and digital models.
The places to walk can be the mall, a local track, your office building (a good place to build a walking club) or around your neighborhood.
Walking buddies are optional but add to the fun!
The following chart shows how many calories are burned per hour of walking based on current weight and speed walked. To calculate the rate of speed, you need a known distance such as a walking track and a watch. If no track is available, get in your car (yes, I said get in your car) and drive the route you plan to walk, measuring the distance. Then get out of the car (stop groaning) and walk the course with your watch. If you walked a mile in fifteen minutes, you'd be walking at a rate of four miles per hour (if you need a formula, go check out some of the excellent books and internet sources on walking).
You would Burn this many calories per hour.
If you weigh: —–100 120 140 160 180 200 220
and walk/hr -2.0 -65 -80 –93 -105 -120 -133 -145
—————–2.5 -62 -74 –88 -100 -112 -124 -138
—————–3.0 -60 -72 –83 -95 —108 -120 -132
—————–3.5 -59 71 —83 -93 —107 -119 -130
—————–4.0 -59 70 —81 -94 —105 -118 -129
—————–4.5 -69 82 —97 110 –122 -138 -151
—————–5.0 -77 92 –108 123 -138 -154 -169
—————–6.0 -86 99 –114 130 -147 -167 -190
—————–7.0 -96 111 128 146 -165 -187 -212
Some walking tips:
Stand up straight, shoulders relaxed, arms hanging loosely at your sides. Allow your arms to move naturally with your body as you walk. Don't swing your arms across the front of your body. This is wasted movement and can cause injury because it causes the shoulders to tense. Keep your head up and eyes forward. This ensures proper posture and makes walking a comfortable exercise.
Do not use weights. They put strain on your joints and can throw off your posture, resulting in pain. This is not supposed to be painful!
If you feel you need a heavier workout, walk faster! Just maintain your proper walking posture but try to cover your previous distance in a shorter amount of time. Do not overstride. Take shorter, quicker steps.
Drink water. Extra exertion requires extra hydration.
Dress appropriately for the weather and pay attention to air quality alerts if you have an outdoor walking program. You are walking to improve your health and quality of life. Neither are possible if you are sucking in smog or get frostbite!
Do stretch after walking. This allows for proper cool down of the muscles, improves flexibility and prevents injury.
Start gradually. If you normally log 2000 steps per day, add 500 more. Some studies have shown that adding a few extra steps per day can assist in preventing weight gain.
Finally, pay attention to your body. Some signs of overtraining are excessive tiredness, very sore muscles or catching a cold. It is okay to skip a day or two (only a day or two).
Walking. You've been doing it for such a long time. Who knew it was actually good for you?! 