The Benefit of 10,000 Steps
In Japan, Dr. Yoshiro Hatano developed the 10,000 Steps-A-Day program back in 1965, where his research was accepted and proved that it was the proper balance of caloric intake and activity based caloric expenditure to maintain a healthy body. He promoted the program as a way to get people moving and to have people start thinking about living an active lifestyle. The program was so successful that today this pedometer steps is still being practiced throughout Japan.
The great aspect of the 10,000 Steps-A-Day program is that it creates a lifestyle of being active, instead of trying to block out a time each day to get your 30 minutes of exercise; you can be active all day in your normal daily activities. In The US, the Surgeon General for years has advocated that people get at least 30 minutes of exercise a day. The Cooper Institute calculated that brisk walking a day would easily meet the lifestyle goals of 30 minutes a day of moderately intense physical activity.
Walking Your Pedometer Steps
To get started with these simple pedometer steps of 10,000 Steps-A-Day, you first need to establish a base number of footsteps walked per day on average for a week. To do this, you just need to put on your step counter pedometer and count the total number of steps you have walked for one week, and then divided it by 7, and you will get the average steps walked per day. After you have obtained your step activity base number, you can proceed to set your goal, and gradually walk you way up to achieve the pedometer steps of 10,000 steps a day.
For the initial phase you should start slow, just start by walking with your regular speed for 10 minutes, keep this up for a week and see if you can maintain your steps. The next phase is to increase the number of footsteps, you should now work your way up by 500 steps each week. This will indirectly prolong the walking duration, try to keep track and maintain your progress. Use your step counter pedometer to record down all the steps in the memory bank, and download them into your computer for further analysis. Your ultimate goal is to reach the target of brisk walking for 30 minutes non-stop or 10,000 steps per day, whichever come last. 10,000 steps is equivalent to 5 miles (or approximately 8 km), and if you managed to reach your goal, it would be a great achievement in your life and you are now truly living an active and healthy lifestyle.
Alternative Pedometer Steps
Apart from taking time out to brisk walking for 30 minutes or walk 10,000 steps a day, for those who cannot spend time dedicated to do so, here are some simple ideas that you can practice to help you achieve the 10,000 Steps-A-Day program, but remember always put on your step counter pedometer to get your steps reading:
- Always park your car farther from your destination
- Take the staircase whenever possible
- Communicate with your colleagues from the same floor in person instead of using instant messenger or e-mail
- Spend time with your kids at the park, play and run with them
- Go to the market and buy your own grocery
- Clean your house regularly
- Lawn your front/back yard more often
- And many more…
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