STEPS TO BETTER HEALTH
Maybe you've heard the recent guidelines about walking 10,000 steps per day. Adding steps has many health benefits: cardiovascular endurance, weight loss, increased energy, etc. Studies suggest that walking 10,000 steps a day is enough activity for weight management. With an increasing number of Americans having office jobs, long daily commutes and numerous demands on their time, many have fallen into a sedentary lifestyle. For many living a sedentary lifestyle (just living and working), they may only walk 1,000-3,000 steps per day. It is nearly impossible for us to get in 10,000 steps in a day without intentionally going out for a walk and/or engaging in other forms of exercise.
Exercise data indicates that people who go for 30-minute walks don't reach 10,000 steps per day, and walking a few thousand steps a few times per week just isn't enough to get you locked into a new fitness routine. Also, when people commit to 60-minute walks, it's much easier to find an excuse not to do it, as it can be difficult to find such a large block of time together or it can seem like a daunting task. However, add a 45-55 minute a dance/cardio interval activity to your weekly regimen and you'll reach you goal much quicker in a fun, yet challenging and creative way.....in addition to reaping the benefits of increased endurance and muscle tone. So, you might wonder, how far is 10,000 steps anyway? The average person's stride length is approximately 2.5 feet long. That means it takes about 2,000 steps to walk one mile, and 10,000 steps is about 5 miles. A reasonable goal for most people, is to increase average daily steps each week by 500 per day until they can easily average 10,000 steps per day. By committing to walking 10,000 steps, you commit to creating and maintaining a healthier lifestyle.
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