We need to get more exercise in this country than we currently do. Most of us think of joining a gym and rigorous workouts with jogging or weights. The fact is that it does not have to be that complex or expensive to become more fit. The simple act of walking for about 30 minutes per day can make a remarkable difference in your health.
Walking is enjoyable and can be done anytime of year. If you can’t afford to join a fitness club with an indoor track, you can join a walking group that walks regularly at your local indoor malls. The buddy system works well to keep you motivated instead of relying on an indoor treadmill.
When starting a walking program, you can start out gradually. The recommended goal for a walking fitness program is 10,000 steps per day. You can start with 6,000 steps per day broken into 2 sessions at 3,000 steps each. This way, you won’t be discouraged if you’ve been sedentary and are not accustomed to walking long distances.
To gauge how many steps you have taken in a day, you can invest in a pedometer. They are easy to find and inexpensive. The cost for a pedometer ranges from about $10.00 to $60.00 and you can purchase one in the middle cost range for about $20.00 that should work well for you. You can find pedometers in most sporting goods stores.
To reach your goal of 10,000 steps a day, there’s a couple of small ways you can get there. If you have a dog, walk it several times a day. Stairs steps count too, so you can climb stairs instead of taking escalators or elevators. When shopping, don’t look for the nearest spot and instead park a little further away.
The benefits of taking 10,000 steps a day are many. Your cardiovascular health will improve and weight control will be easier. Your general mood will be brighter as regular exercise wards off mild depression. Even the risk of certain cancers are diminished from an exercise regimen. Overall health care costs will be lowered since your general health should improve.
This entry was posted on Sunday, June 1st, 2008 at 11:26 am and is filed under Fitness Advice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.