10,000 Steps a Day, Part 6: Safety and Considerations

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With any activity, whether you're exercising around the house, at the gym, outside, or on the playing field, safety is number one.  Progressing too fast, overtraining, and not practicing good form during exercise will more often lead to  injury than a healthier, fitter, stronger, faster body.

Safety

• If you experience chest pain, dizziness, or shortness of breath, stop exercising and seek medical attention immediately.
• Avoid increasing steps by more than 500 per day.  That's about a quarter mile.
• If you push too hard, you may suffer an injury that could sideline you for months.  Avoid it.
• Stay well-hydrated when exercising.  Bring water with you.
• Follow all facility and traffic rules.
• If walking outside, consult the weather forecast and dress accordingly.
• If you are going to walk alone, make sure you tell a family member or friend your route and how long you plan to be gone.
• Bring pepper spray or other forms of protection.
• Walk in a safe area.
• Be aware of your surroundings, changes in walking surfaces, and people and animals around you,
• Bring your phone and maybe even a whistle to call for help if needed.
• If walking in your neighborhood or around town, wear bright/reflective clothing so you are more easily seen by motorists.

Considerations

• It takes several months for a new habit to become routine.  Don't get discouraged.  If you have an off day, get back out there the next day and try again.
• Wear your pedometer on your pant waistband above the hip, so it can monitor leg movement more accurately.
• There are many pedometers on the market.  Price and functions vary.  Some are basic, only tracking steps, while others track calories, distance, aerobic steps, regular steps and more.  Choose one that is easy to use, has good customer and industry ratings, and provides the functions that you prefer.  

I hope you enjoyed this blog series and found it helpful.  As always, I welcome feedback.  Please let me know what you think of this series.  If you have an idea of another fitness/nutrition-related series you'd like to see covered here, let me know.  I'll definitely consider it.  Take care.  Happy walking!

10,000 Step a Day, Part 5: Ways to Increase Your Steps

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Ways to Increase Your Steps

There are many ways you can increase the number of steps you take each day.  We've become a more sedentary society since technology came along.  It's time to get up and move, any way you can.  

• When you're at home, place your phone where you can  hear it if it rings, but it's not right with you.  
• Walk your dog
• Use the stairs instead of the elevator
• Park your car at the far end of the parking lot when you go out and about to shop, attend community events, go to appointments, go to the gym, and the like
• Walk to visit neighbors, shop, and run errands, if possible
• Go for a walk in a park, around the neighborhood, or at a nearby nature trail with your family and friends
• Lose the remote control--get up to change TV channels
• Go for a run or jog
• Take a 10-minute walk after each meal
• Walk or pace while talking on the phone
• Set a timer for 30 minutes throughout the day to remind yourself to get up for a walking break
• Walk in place at your desk every hour
• Play with your cats--walk around the house with a laser.  Most cats love this
• Play active games such as Charades, Musical Chairs, Tag, and Simon Says
• Play volleyball, football, tennis, or frisbee at gatherings with friends and family in addition to sitting and chatting.
• Have a treasure hunt
• Plan active vacations--hiking, volunteering, walking tours, walking/running a 5K for charity, or walking across your city, county, or state (some of these take some time to work up to--don't push yourself too hard, but also don't limit yourself.  Working toward an ambitious goal is an awesome idea.)

What did I miss?  Do you have other ways you fit in steps throughout the day?  Please share them with me here in the comments below, or email me at iwrite41@yahoo.com with "10,000 Steps," in the Subject line.   Thanks.  Have a great day!

10,000 Step a Day, Part 4: Tracking and Adding Steps

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Tracking and Adding Steps

To get up to 10,000 steps per day takes time, and tracking, but you can do it.  Take that time and build on the foundation you've laid, for health.  

Tracking::

• Put your pedometer on when you get up in the morning and take it off when you go to bed at night to track each day's steps.
• Log your steps daily to monitor your progress.

Adding:

• Once you've completed the first two weeks walking with the pedometer just to see how many steps you normally take to find your baseline, it's time to set a new goal to challenge yourself.  For two more weeks set a goal of walking the same amount of steps each day that you walked on your highest step day from the previous two weeks.
• Keep adding about 500 steps to your daily total per two-week periods until you reach 10,000 per day.  For example, if you walked 1500 steps daily for two weeks, try bumping up the daily total to 2000 steps for the next two weeks, 2500 for the following two weeks, and so on.

Next Up....Ways to Add Steps 

10,000 Steps a Day, Part 3: Getting Started

Getting Started

Okay, so you want to start a walking program with a goal of 10,000 steps daily.  First, though, there are some things you need to do to get yourself off on the right foot.

• As with any new exercise, talk to your doctor first, especially if you are over 40 years old, have been sedentary for a long period of time, or have a chronic health condition.
• Get a pedometer and log your steps daily for a couple weeks.  Don't try to increase your steps at this point.  Just see where you are as far as steps go by engaging in your normal, everyday routine.
• Wear comfortable clothing.  Fancy workout garb is not required.  Comfy t-shirts, sweats, and shorts will work just fine.
• Start slow and build up your steps as you gain endurance and strength to avoid injury.  Take your time.  Exercise smart. 
• Wear supportive, sturdy walking shoes.

Next Up....Tracking and Adding Your Steps

10,000 Steps a Day, Part 2: Benefits and Effectiveness

Benefits and Effectiveness

Benefits:

• Boosted circulation
• Sharper mind
• Better sleep
• Reduced stress
• Lower blood pressure
• Lower body fat
• Reduced heart attack risk
• Reduced dementia risk

These benefits can lead to others, including getting along better with family, friends and coworkers, performing better on the job, and fewer injuries and illnesses.

Effectiveness:

Walking 10,000 steps daily helps you meet physical activity guidelines, but it doesn't guarantee that you will meet them and see health benefits as a result.  Good health is based on many factors besides exercise, including genetics, environment, nutrition, attitude, tobacco and drug avoidance, alcohol limitation, and good sleep habits.

Up Next...Getting Started

10,000 Steps a Day: What's It All About? Part 1

Hi!  You've heard that you should get 10,000 steps in each day.  Why that magic number?  What are the benefits?  What's it all about?  I'll be answering these questions in the next few blog posts.  Here were go!

In 1996, the Surgeon General reported that Americans were not active enough.  He recommended that we increase exercise by 30 minutes daily and do it at a moderate pace (you start to sweat and feel as if you're getting a workout, but you can still carry on a normal conversation) to benefit our health.  But what if you don't have 30 minutes to spend at the gym or engaged in physical activity all in one shot?  That's where the 10,000 steps come in.  You get the equivalent of that recommended exercise by making it a point to take extra steps throughout the day.  

Where Does That Number Come From?

To get to this magic number of 10,000 steps, several factors are taken into consideration.  Stride length, for one.  The average person's stride is about 2-1/2 feet long.  Another factor is distance.  To walk a mile at this stride length, a person would have to take about 2000 steps.  So, walking 5 miles daily will result in taking about 10,000 steps.  You'll burn about 100 calories per mile of walking at a normal pace, so walking 5 miles daily will help you burn 500 calories.  It takes burning 3,500 calories to lose one pound, so at this walking pace you may be able to lose one pound per week.  The healthy rate for weight loss is one to two pounds per week.

Up Next Benefits and Effectiveness of walking 10,000 steps.

Exercise Groups

Are you tired of doing the same cardio exercises at the gym?  Do you end up exercising alone most of the time?  Make some changes to perk up your workout and make it fun and challenging again.  

Exercise groups of all kinds can help energize your workout.  Form a walking group with friends, family, coworkers and/or fellow gym patrons to add variety to your cardio workout.  You may also band together with others who have something else in common with you, such as diabetes or pregnancy.  Walk in parks, around the neighborhood, at the mall, or any other suitable spot.  Change the route or intensity or both to add challenge as members get stronger.  For example, walk farther, walk faster, introduce hills, or maybe even plan day- or weekend-hikes in the nearby countryside or mountains.  You could also team up to walk a 5K or American Cancer Society Relay for Life event together.  You can also swim, do water aerobics, cycle, or play tennis or racquetball.  You can get together for weight training sessions, too, as well.  The options are wide open. 

It might be helpful to invite people at about the same fitness level, but getting together with individuals of all ability levels is possible too.  It just might challenge those who are not as advanced to push harder.  Don't overdo it, though.  If you find yourself in a a group that seems to be too advanced (or not advanced enough), consider putting together your own group with others who are a better match. 

Always make sure you exercise in a safe place, follow all rules and reguations, stay hydrated, use sunscreen if you work out outside--and have fun!