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It is estimated that if a person walks 10,000 steps a day, he or she could burn upto 500 calories per day, 3,500 calories in a week, and would be covering 5 miles while doing it. Amazing right?
Dr. Yoshiro Hatano was the man who came up with the health goal of 10,000 steps a day with his team, back in the 1960s in Japan. At that time, little did he or his team knew that this goal of 10,000 steps a day would become this famous in the fitness world decades later. He concluded in his research that if people increased their average steps from 1,500-3,000 to 10,000, they would become healthier and leaner. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that a person must walk 10,000 steps a day to keep themselves healthy.
Walking helps in reducing the risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, maintains better blood glucose levels, elevates mood and can also aid in losing fat. The most amazing thing about walking is that you can do it anywhere, be it at your home, office, in a park, or on a road.
(Read more: Benefits of morning walk)
Though 10000 steps are a lot to track, especially if you have to be glued to office chairs the whole day. But if you have decided to achieve this goal, there are a number of ways through which you can reach it.
Use a fitness tracker
Fitness trackers are the best way to keep track of your steps. Since they were first introduced they have become quite a rage with weight enthusiasts. These are pedometers and wearable devices, which can help you count your steps in a day while also giving you a count of how many calories you have burnt. And don’t worry if you are a slacker, it will keep on feeding you with real-time information about your steps so you can stay motivated towards your goal. You can also set reminders and timers on these trackers, just in case.
Add 1000 steps a week
Let’s face it, it can be really difficult to add 10000 extra steps to your daily routine when you clearly weren’t taking even half of it. Start off by walking 4,000 or 5,000 steps a day, depending on your comfort level, and then add 1,000 steps every week until you reach your 10,000 steps.
This will not only keep you motivated but also slowly builds endurance so you can reach your goal with ease.
Walk more during your everyday chores
Make use of your daily chores in achieving your new 10,000 steps a day goal. Instead of using a motorbike or a car, make your way to the grocery store by walking. Or, if the grocery store or your office is far away from your house, park your vehicle a couple of miles away from it. This will allow you to add in extra steps into your daily walking regime.
While watching a TV show or a film at home, walk or attend to some minor chores during commercials. As the tea takes its time to boil, don’t just stand there staring at it or keep fiddling with your phone; take a lap of your house.
Covering steps at the workplace
You can set reminders on your desktop or mobile phones that’ll prompt you every hour to take a little walk around the office. You can go to the restroom by opting a way that’ll force you to take a few more steps than usual. Use stairs instead of lifts. During your lunch break, try to take a 10-minute walk around the block. This will keep your mind fresh at work.
Walking has its benefits; there’s no doubt about it. However, depending solely on walking for your overall fitness and health would not be truly effective. So while 10,000 steps a day routine can be an excellent addition to your fitness routine, it can never be a substitute for physical exercises. For those who have just begun their fitness goals, walking thousands of steps is a certainly good STEP. Though, for those who have already walked a lot must add some physical exercises in their fitness regime.
A little bit of strength training, exercises are important if you are looking to lose more than just a couple of pounds. Indulgence in physical activities such as playing sports can truly enhance the potency of walking.
