Kerry McClure – Practical Wellness
January 23, 2015
So what’s the story behind 10,000 steps a day?
Here’s the story and if you like numbers, check this out…
2,000 steps = 1 mile
**Average 80-120 steps/minute during every day activities
**3-4 MPH average speed takes 80 – 100 minutes/day = 5 miles
**On average we walk 1,000 – 3,000 steps/day
**7,000 – 9,000 more needed throughout the day!
We average 80-120 steps/minute during every day activities:
Stairs – always take the stairs instead of elevators
Car parks – Park your car in the furthest space
Involve your kids, friends, family – roller blade, skate, walk with them
Lunchtime – take 10 minutes to walk around the block
Promise your dog – 3 longer walks a week
Create extra time – get up earlier, less blue screen time!
HAVE FUN!
Here’s the back story…
Our work and personal lifestyle habits tend to lead toward a very sedentary lifestyle which centers on a lot of sitting.
With heart disease, obesity, diabetes and even stroke and heart attacks directly correlated to a sedentary lifestyle, it is important that we understand the benefits of walking at least 10,000 steps per day.
So, how have fitness organizations and experts arrived at this 10,000 steps figure?
With the average adult covering 2.5 feet with every step, this means it would take a little over 2,000 consecutive steps to cover 1 mile in distance. Health professionals have stated that 5 miles of walking spread out over the course of a day leads to a significantly healthier individual, and that is where the 10,000 step number originated.
The good news is you do not have to walk this distance at one time. And if you maintain the average 3 to 4 mph brisk walking rate which most adults can, this means that between 80 and 100 minutes is all which is required to cover 5 miles, or 10,000 steps a day.
The American Heart Association believes that 10,000 steps is a magic metric the average person can use to increase heart health while simultaneously decreasing the risk of developing heart disease. The surgeon general also agrees with this figure.
Additional benefits of walking 10,000 steps per day: immune system boost, reduced waist size, increased energy, and less risk of developing diabetes.
Make sure you check in with your doctor before beginning or changing your exercise routine.
Remember to start small and build up slowly.
Stop any activity if you feel any pain and seek medical attention as necessary.
Sources:
http://myfitnessnut.com/get-fit-dog-walking/
http://www.shapeup.org/resources/10ksteps.html
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-step-diet
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/…/why-its-so-important-to-k…/…
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