Week 3: The Pudge Be Gone Fitness Challenge

. 04/16/2011 . 1 Comment

Put on your pedometer and record the steps you take every day for the next 7 days. Your goal for this week’s fitness challenge is to log a minimum of 10,000 steps per day!

Pedometers can be a great motivational tool for people that want to increase their activity levels.  Clinical studies have shown that use of a pedometer not only increases movement, but reduces blood pressure levels in hypertensives, body fat and BMI (Body Mass Index) in overweight and obese individuals. A study published in the Journal of The American Medical Association Nov. 2007[3] concluded, “The results suggest that the use of a pedometer is associated with significant increases in physical activity and significant decreases in body mass index and blood pressure.” [Source: Wikipedia]

A daily target of 10,000 steps has been recommended by the US Surgeon General and by the UK Department of Health, so we’re going to start there. As noted, you should feel free to do more, but 10,000 steps (the equivalent of about five miles) is a great goal to get you up and off the sofa, away from your desk, out of your car – and moving. A person who walks 10,000 steps a day will burn between 2000 and 3500 extra calories per week, which will result in reduced blood pressure, better glucose metabolism, less stress, and less body fat. Walking is a great way to lose weight – and keep it off.

If your goal is to lose weight, start slow and gradually work yourself up to walking 12000 to 15000 steps a day.  Set small interval goals – such as walking really fast for 500 steps, to get even more cardiovascular benefit.

Wondering how you will ever get 10,000 steps in one day? Watch for little opportunities to increase your activity with more steps. Here are a few ideas:

  • Park in the farthest space from the store, movie theater, office or at the gym.
  • Walk, run and enjoy active playtime with your children or grandchildren.
  • Mow your yard using an old-fashioned push mower.
  • If you play golf, walk the course instead of taking a cart.
  • Take a “walking break” instead of a coffee break at work, which helps keep you away from the pastries and junk in the coffee area.
  • Take the stairs up to your office instead of the elevator.
  • Put your remote in a drawer, then get up off the couch to change channels on the television.
  • Put on your favorite music while you clean your house to the rhythm.
  • Walk to and from your commute train instead of driving a few times per week.

Pedometers

If you are the owner of an IPhone, you’ll be happy to know that the Iphone and Ipod-touch both offer pedometer components that track daily steps.

The Omron GoSmart Pocket Pedometer HJ-112 is highly rated by professional health instructors and consumers, as is the Accusplit Eagle Multi-Function Pedometer.  All four of the pedometers below track steps, distance and calories burned. Be sure to set your gait length, age and weight for the greatest accuracy.

i
Rate This

Deborrah

Veteran social researcher, relationship advice columnist, author and radio host. Author of hundreds of articles on American and black culture, gender issues, singles, dating and relationships. Author of "Sucka Free Love!" , "The 24 Types of Suckas to Avoid," "The Black Church - Where Women Pray and Men Pray," and "Why Vegan is the New Black" all available on Amazon.Com. Her unique voice and insightful commentary have delighted fans and riled haters for 20 years. Read her stuff on SurvivingDating.Com and AskHeartBeat.Com.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:
TwitterFacebookPinterestGoogle PlusFlickrYouTubeReddit

Tags: , , , ,

Category: Looking Your Best


Warning: array_merge(): Argument #1 is not an array in /home/askhtcom/public_html/survivingdating.com/wp-content/plugins/seo-facebook-comments/seofacebook.php on line 559

Warning: Invalid argument supplied for foreach() in /home/askhtcom/public_html/survivingdating.com/wp-content/plugins/seo-facebook-comments/seofacebook.php on line 561
«
»
This site is protected by WP-CopyRightPro