Increasing Your Steps

How many steps do you walk each day?

Now that you've started the March Into May program, what have you learned about your activity level? Do you get as many steps a day as you thought? More? Less? Wearing your pedometer is a great way to become aware of where you stand - or rather, where you walk! 


Recent guidelines suggest walking 10,000 steps per day. How far is 10,000 steps anyway? The average person's stride length is approximately 2.5 feet long. That means it takes just over 2,000 steps to walk one mile, and 10,000 steps is close to 5 miles.

A sedentary person may only average 1,000 to 3,000 steps a day. For these people adding steps has many health benefits. A reasonable goal for most people is to increase average daily steps each week by 500 per day until you can easily average 10,000 per day. Example: If you currently average 3000 steps each day, your goal for week one is 3500 each day. Your week 2 goal is 4000 each day. Continue to increase each week and you should be averaging 10,000 steps by the end of 14 weeks.

There are many ways to increase your daily steps. Use your imagination and come up with your own list:

• Take a walk with your spouse, child, or friend
• Walk the dog
• Use the stairs instead of the elevator
• Park farther from the store
• Better yet, walk to the store
• Get up to change the channel
• Window shop
• Plan a walking meeting
• Walk over to visit a neighbor
• Get outside to walk around the garden
• Walk on your lunch break with coworkers

Continue to track your daily steps and/or mileage; and keep notes on how you feel, how your body is improving, or other changes you are making to improve your health.
If you are in very poor physical condition or at any point you feel that you are progressing too rapidly, slow down a bit and try smaller increases. If you have any health concerns seek your physician's advice prior to starting or changing your exercise routine.


Don't forget, March Into May is strictly a WALKING program, so don't wear your pedometer when doing other forms of exercise, like aerobics or jogging (we will be doing an exercise program later in the year which will take into account these other forms of physical activity). Remember, it is a general recommendation that most individuals fit 30 to 60 minutes of dedicated walking (or other exercise) into their routine at least 3 to 4 days a week. You can start with as little as ten minutes per day and gradually increase your walking routine.


Most importantly, don't get discouraged! If you feel you're not walking enough to meet your own expectations, just hang in there! Go at your own pace - don't feel pressured to go at the pace of your neighbor. Our bodies are amazing, but they can't be pushed to do too much at once. Make your improvements gradually, and never never never give up!

Post Title : Increasing Your Steps

Increasing Your Steps,

wellness program,

Increasing Your Steps