TEN THOUSAND STEPS

5 Miles per day keeps the weight away!

Exercise can be as simple as walking. Most of us do it everyday but sometimes we need to do a little more! One great way to follow your exercise and the amount you walk in a day is to wear a pedometer (step counter). This is a small devise that clips to your pants and counts how many steps you take in a day. Some people with sedentary jobs or lifestyles will find that they only walk 1-2,000 steps per day. Others who are active during their day will walk 5-6,000 steps and not even realize they are getting this much exercise. To purchase a pedometer please visit our store.

If you are using walking as your main form of exercise you should set a goal from 10,000 steps per day. If you walk 10,000 steps, this is about 5 miles. If you can reach this goal it will help you to lose weight and to keep it off. Wearing a pedometer can be a simple tools to follow your exercise.

Some tips for starting a walking program.

1. Spend your first 2-3 days wearing your pedometer to see how many steps you walk doing you "usual" routine. After establishing this baseline increase your steps by 1,000 steps per day. Continue for one week then increase your steps by 1,000 steps per day for the following week. You should continue this weekly increase in your steps to reach your goal of 10,000 steps per day.
   
   For example, if you walked 4,000 steps doing your usual routine then you would increase this to 5,000 steps per day for one week. After one week, increase to 6,000 steps per day for one week. The following week increase to 7,000 steps per day and continue this weekly increase until you get to your goal of 10,000 steps.
2. Get a good pair of walking shoes. Please do not try and walk 10,000 steps in flip flops or high heels. You will injure yourself very quickly by doing this. Buy a good pair of walking shoes that have support for your ankle and arch. Consider going to a running or walking store to be fitted for an appropriate shoe.
3. Add steps throughout your day. Dont wait until the end of the day to see that you are 5,000 steps short of your goal. You can add a walk or run at the end of your day to help get to 10,000 steps but try and add steps all day long. Some ideas include walking around your office for your breaks and walking during your lunch hour. Take the stairs whenever possible. When doing shopping or errands, park at the farthest end of the parking lot and not right in front.
4. Take a different route when going for a walk. Chose a route that goes up hills one day and flat the next. Walk around a park one day and then do a walk in your neighborhood the next day. This will help keep your walks interesting and keep you motivated.
5. Set up walking dates instead of lunch or dinner dates with friends. This can be a great social time and save you from unwanted calories you may get when eating out.

These are just a few ideas to get you going with your weight loss. Please visit one of our clinics for our full program to help you with your weight loss goals!