6. Pedometer magic
International guidelines regarding the amount of physical activity needed to maintain good health include walking 10,000 steps every day. Because virtually everyone can do it, it’s a popular guideline. In fact, walking, preferably fast walking, can be done anywhere, anytime. Plus, it carries very few risks for your joints and heart.
With the help of a pedometer, it’s easy to count the number of steps an individual walks in one day. For example, we walk:
- 1000 to 3000 steps during a sedentary day;
- 3000 to 6000 steps during a moderately active day;
- 6000 to 10,000 steps during a day that includes fast walking.
Inexpensive ($10-$20) and available at many retailers, the pedometer is highly motivating as it immediately quantifies your daily reality. From day one, the pedometer offers its verdict in terms of the amount of physical activity carried out, for example: 2500 steps. And that’s where the magic comes in. On the second day, most of us have the same reaction: we want to do better and beat our previous day’s record. We start using the stairs instead of the elevator and we walk to our business lunch instead of taking a cab. That’s when we proudly see, without even realizing it or being overtired, that we’ve walked a total of 5000 steps!
In the end, there’s nothing magical about it at all. Simply keep your eyes open and seize every opportunity to walk!
