| diana tencic

5 steps to reaching 10,000 steps a day

Have you ever thought about how many steps a day you actually need to perform to stay well?

As our lives become more and more sedentary and our daily habits becoming more and more about convenience, we are less inclined to use our primary movers that being  our lower bodies.

 Sitting daily is leading us to a life of chronic illness, think sore hips, tight lower back and larger waist line.

10,000 steps as a daily count found its origins in Japanese walking clubs some 30 years ago and also in the lead-up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

 

Let me share with you 5 easy hacks that you can implement daily to get your body moving.

 

Step 1. Find the fitness app on your phone. If you have an iPhone it looks like this. 

body be well- iPhone health app

Step 2. Keep an accurate step count.To keep an accurate step count you must have your phone on you when you are walking or moving and set it to the desired movement. You can set it to bike if you ride etc. Now you have your tracking done let's get moving.

body be well- step count

Step 3. Decide how you want to move. I am a walker, but if you like to run then go for it. I then note the days I want to walk in my diary. 

It takes time to reach 10,000 steps so depending on your exercise history take it slow.

Researchers at Arizona State University have established baseline activity levels based on the number of steps taken each day.

People who take fewer than 5,000 steps are considered to be sedentary or inactive.

Those who take 5,000 to 7,499 steps daily have a low active lifestyle.  

Somewhat active people usually take 7,500 to 9,999 steps per day.

People considered to be active take 10,000 or more steps per day.

For moderate intensity, 100 steps per minute are taken and for vigorous intensity 130 steps per minute are taken.

How long will it take to reach 10,000 steps?

So, if the activity is moderate in intensity, it would take 100 minutes to reach 10,000 steps.
If the activity is vigorous in intensity, it would take 77 minutes to reach 10,000 steps. To have an active lifestyle, 10,000 to 12,499 steps per day are required.
To be considered as having a highly active lifestyle, 12,500 steps per day are necessary.

 

Step 4. The simplest way to start is the most obvious. If you do not have access to a treadmill I am going to suggest the obvious....get your butt outside and walk. Start by time so aim for 15 minutes in one direction and then turn around and come back. You have just achieved 30 minutes of walking and probably half your step count for the day. More than that you are being active and that is our goal.

 

Step 5. Walk the walk, talk the talk...If you are office bound have you considered walking meetings? Take a peak at your work diary and find the meetings that can allow for that. 

 

10,000 steps is a guide and if you set you targets by your experience you can slowing increase your steps by 500 per week. The aim is to get you moving and sifting that load from a sedentary position. Let's free up those tight hip flexors and stretched glutes, eliminate sore backs and release natural endorphins.

 

Happy walking!

 

Want to join me? I am aiming for 10,000 steps every day I have off training, as I am participating  in the bloody long walk a 35km walk for Mito disease.

You can donate here or join me by following along via my instagram account. 

 

 "Maintaining good health should be the primary focus of everyone" Sangram Singh

 

 

resources: https://link.springer.com/article/10.2165/00007256-200434010-00001

Livestrong.com