Walking… A Great Exercise – 10,000 Steps – No Excuses
Who knew?!! As a lifelong couch potato the very concept of “exercise” was foreign to me… When I would get the urge to do anything physical… I would immediately talk myself out of it. Little did I realize the ramification of this lifestyle and how easy it was going to be to escape the dangers that I had setup for myself by this lifestyle choice. But when you are carrying a lot of weight even what would seem to be easy exercise was going to be challenging. But after following essentially a vegan diet for four months it was clear that it was time to put some movement into my life…so I began walking. I had head that you should walk 10,000 steps several time a week, but I decided that I would commit myself to doing 10,000 steps every day as a baseline in the morning and then have additional steps during the day. I am still on this program…and I feel GREAT. Here is some thoughts for you to consider:
Get a Pedometer…or better yet…get a Fitbit or similar device. There is a truth that is ignored by many people…”If you don’t measure it you can’t manage it.” When they are asked about how much they exercise, they have absolutely no idea. Get actual data on your movement and activity so you have the feedback to know how you are doing. Otherwise it’s like playing golf and not keeping score… you don’t know if you are doing better – and it is a lot less fun. How can you shoot for a goal if you don’t know where you are in relation to that goal. The Fitbit (and some other devices and apps) has the additional features which connect you with your friends and share your progress with them. Also embedded into the programming of the unit are built in recognition levels and electronic badges that are awarded by the app as you achieve new levels of steps, and effective miles that you covered. (Yes, you too can have the Nile River Award when you have cumulatively walked the length of the Nile River….who knew?! All of the added features reinforces your progress and keeps you connected to your walking community of friends.
In his book, This Is Your Do-Over: The 7 Secrets to Losing Weight, Living Longer, and Getting a Second Chance at the Life You Want, Dr. Michael Roizen, recommends several strategies of recovering wellness. While no amount of exercise will overcome a bad diet, I especially agreed with his prescription to walk a minimum of 10,000 steps throughout the day everyday…No Excuses. He reports that science has found that this formula for walking not only helps you burn calories to help you lose weight, but also changes your body’s chemistry to reverse some of the damage you may have done to it throughout your life. This change will erase all the years of damage that may have been done through inactivity, bad foods, high stress, and other life crushers. It is almost too simple to believe that just walking and making sure you stay active throughout the day can have this profound effect on your health. Walking is the answer for almost everyone primarily because it is a very safe exercise we know,and it brings benefits without the risks of more strenuous exercise regimes. No you don’t have to get a trainer, join a gym (although there is nothing wrong with that!) or go through a “Greatest Loser” ordeal to recover your sense of wellness. Even on days when I am traveling I have been able to get steps in at the airport, and even during long layovers. (In Atlanta there is a great walking area between concourses…walk instead of taking the shuttle for a good walking area with few people to get in the way.) You don’t need to do the daily walk all at one time…just get it done before the day is over…This you can do. See you on the Journey!
Doug Amis
P.S. If you have a favorite travel related walk idea… share it below.