U.S. health professionals, in their quest to make fitness and health easier to understand, have adopted a 10,000-steps-a-day guideline for people looking to get fit.
This guideline is adapted from a long-held Japanese belief. Although this seems like a one-size-fits-all program, the elderly are encouraged to walk less, while young people are encouraged to walk more. Typically, 10,000 steps is about a half hour of walking plus your regular activity.
Considering North Americans' obsession with numbers, this is a great way to add exercise to your daily routine.
Buy yourself a pedometer and go. Think this is too simple to work? Well, a Standford University study found that those who adopted the 10,000-step goal increased the number of steps they took by 27%.
1 comment:
i currently walk to and from work. rain, shine, heat, extreme cold; you name it, i've experienced it. not only is it silly for me to hop on a bus for a 5 minute bus ride wherein i'll have to transfer, but i find it a bit of a waste of money. i can say shamelessly that i'm one of the most naturally fit persons in the work place. people in my call center rely on the elevator for 2 flights of stairs and the only walking they do is from the workplace to McDonalds (conveniently located 2 minutes away). what is worse is the fact that the average person in this workplace is horribly overweight and unhealthy. before the call center moved, i was walking an hour to work and an hour from work to home. now i'm closer and its only a 40 minute round trip. i'm now trying to beat records when walking to work so that i can best my own times. there's no excuses for not being more active. my shoes are pronated, my feet are flat, i have asthma, and an annoying infrequent back issue... but i still get mine from a fitness standpoint. word to the wise: "walk". the benefits are superb!
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