You’ve heard it a million times… “There’s an app for that”. Well stay with me, because it applies directly to this week’s theme.
So 10K a day is your new mantra.
And you’re ‘R’acking up the steps. Congratulations!
But how are you ‘T’racking your results and progress?
You know the saying, so say it along with me.
There’s an app for that…
As we discussed last week, there are plenty of apps for iPhone and Android to track your steps. And if you’re an iPhone user, the built-in Health app is incredible for tracking your step count.
But it doesn’t only track your daily step count (automatically), it retains all of your recorded data from Day 1.
For example, in the fitness category, you can also track your active energy (calorie burn), minutes exercised per day, number of workouts, and a few other key metrics.
Aside from the step data, the data for the other fitness categories needs to be entered manually. This info is “tracked” and displayed on a dashboard. And represented visually in graph format based on the time frame of your choice – by Day, Week, Month, or Year.
In addition to tracking your steps, you may find a few other apps useful during your walks.
Here are four of my favorites:
- Audible: It’ impossible to read when you’re walking briskly, working out intensely, or driving. I use those times to listen to audio books. For about $15 a month you can get an Audible subscription and continue feeding your mind. If you like reading, it’s a way to maximize your reading time. If you don’t like to read, give it a try. You may take a liking to listening to audio books.
- Podcasts: Another great source for learning while you’re on the go. And it’s free. You can follow your favorite thought leaders and listen to their content based on your
- Music: Sometimes you just want to listen to music or need some motivation to put a little spring in your step.
- Your calendar: I do some of my best thinking during a walk. And I want to capture those thoughts. So instead of slowing down to type, I dictate my thoughts into a new calendar event, which allows me to remember the idea when I’m done or at a later time.
And of course, there are other ways to track your step count in addition to using your smartphone. From high-tech pedometers, fitness bands and smartwatches.
Perhaps this will help to put tracking in perspective for you:
“What gets measured gets managed.” ~ Peter Drucker
Or put another way, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure”.
The most important point here is to get moving.
Then, “measure” your activity and “track it” with an app or a device.
On another note,
I recently improved my work habits by going to a standing desk, which I love. And there’s huge a side benefit.
Although it doesn’t count for steps, this one move can improve my cardiovascular health by helping me stay “less” sedentary.
Recent research claims that even if you exercise regularly, sitting for long periods of time is unhealthy for a number of reasons.
Here are a few articles on the subject:
- What are the risks of sitting too much?
- Even if you exercise, too much sitting time is bad
- The risk of sitting too much
“Don’t be a ‘sitting duck for cardiovascular disease’ — move more, sit less,” ~ Dr. Barbara George, director of the Center for Cardiovascular Lifestyle Medicine at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y.
If you want to get a handle on how much time your daily sitting is adding up to, check out this sitting calculator. And pay close attention to the notes, which I’ve included in the image below.
‘Nuf said. Now it’s time to go get some more steps…
Thank you for sharing your time with me. I hope you found value.
Now it’s time for YOU to take action…
What’s your Win to be Thin? Leave a comment below.
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