As we wind down our “walking” habit in this last week of Month 5, I thought it would be helpful to not only know why walking is so important to our health & wellness.

I felt that an understanding about the negative impact of not getting enough steps could be equally as important.

Something that could possibly become a catalyst to motivate you when you’re not feeling it.

So what’s with this week’s title?

Well, last week we built our theme around a great Pink Floyd song to help you maximize your daily step count with machines. This week, I couldn’t help but incorporate a great Aerosmith song to reinforce the importance of walking. And then contrast it with the consequences of being sedentary.

If you’re not an Aerosmith fan (which is hard to understand!), we can drive the same point with “Let’s Dance” by David Bowie. So if that works better to get you moving, go with it!

We’ve all heard and read about the importance of taking 10,000 steps a day (aka 10K a day!). In fact, over the past 4 weeks we’ve covered numerous benefits of walking:

• Can You Give Me 10,000?
• There’s An App For That…
• Leave The Light ON
• Welcome To The Machine

10,000 steps began as an arbitrary number; originally created as a promotion by a Japanese pedometer company. Since then, studies have confirmed that 10,000 appears to be the sweet spot where people lose weight and gain control of their health & wellness.

Under 5,000 steps per day is considered “sedentary”, where health risks begin. 5,000 to 7,499 is considered to be “low active”, which is the category that most people fall into. 7,500 to 9,999 is categorized as “somewhat active”.

If you’re fortunate to log 10,000 to 12,499 steps per day, you are considered to be “active”. With consistency this is a great place to be.

And over 12,500 puts you in the “highly active” category. Not too shabby…

So what if your activity level has you labeled as “low active”?

What does this mean and should you be concerned?

Well first off, it may indicate that you’re not getting enough exercise. Walking is important to your health & wellness, but it’s not the only thing you need to do.

In addition to walking 10K steps a day, you need to include a few strength training and a couple of cardio sessions every week.

These can all contribute to your 10K a day, but walking by itself is not enough. Your body benefits from resistance training (aka strength training, lifting weights, or anaerobic exercise).

And although you can incorporate cardiovascular training into your weight-lifting sessions, the sustained intensity from aerobic exercise (aka cardio) is beneficial for your heart, lungs, brain, metabolism…

It will also improve your stamina and endurance during strength training sessions.

Many studies have been done to evaluate the consequences of being sedentary. Problems include an increased risk for heart disease, obesity, diabetes, dementia, and some cancers.

Here are 2 good articles worth reading:

• The Dangers of Sitting Too Much
• The Health Hazards of Sitting

Remember, the consistency of slow and steady for long-term results always trumps quick fix!

If you’re new to us, you can link back to the first post of the 6-month series here. And don’t worry about the time of year. We started in January because that’s when most people think about their health & wellness goals.

But you can start anytime. Like TODAY!!!

Same thing goes if you started but have fallen off-track. Go back to the first post of the series to re-calibrate and get yourself back on-track.

It’s a simple concept: One new habit per month, reinforced weekly to help you build the discipline. And since there are only a half dozen habits to build, it’s easy to manage.

But as Jim Rohn used to say “What’s easy to do is easy not to do”.

6 months to build the right habits and disciplines by:

• Taking action
• Consistently making good choices, and
• Learning from your missteps along the way

It’s up to you how long it takes to reach your goal. And then you have a lifetime to enjoy your new healthy lifestyle. How cool is that?

Next week we’ll introduce the 6^th and final healthy habit of our 6-month series. In the meantime, don’t forget to Walk This Way!

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

Hey 10K! Are you hitting it every day?

If you need some help, you’re gonna like this post.

So how can you increase your daily step count?

I have a few ideas to share that work for me, and I’m hoping they can also work for you!

Full disclosure: I am not the type of person who likes to spend hours in the gym. My average workout time is 45 minutes, and that works for me. That doesn’t include walking. But I don’t view walking as a workout despite doing it at an intense pace.

I am always looking for ways to log more steps. And although running is great for so many reasons, it’s not really an option for me anymore. The lingering pain I experience from the impact is something I now try to avoid.

So I have found other ways to increase my step count at the gym while keeping my heart rate up.

Welcome to the low impact machines… Let’s look at a few examples:

1. Ellipticals: My favorite is the Octane Elliptical. After using it for a while, and experimenting with different modes and levels of resistance, you can get close to a “running experience” without any impact on your knees, ankles, feet… And you’ll rack up a lot of steps in an intense 30-minute session.
2. Bikes: It’s not my “go to” machine, but it’s a good leg workout that will definitely maximize your step count. For a super-intense session, hop on a “spin bike”. Remember your headphones and some loud, ass-kicking music for support and motivation. If you can ride outside, I’m sure my cyclist friends will agree that riding outdoors is more fun and exciting.
3. Steppers: These machines won’t give you the same high ratio of step count per hour as an elliptical or a bike will, but it’s an intense leg workout that gets (and keeps) your heart rate up.
4. Treadmills: Aside from basic walking (or running), treadmills enable you to control speed or elevation to intensify your workout. I’d much rather walk outdoors at a fast pace than on a treadmill. But it’s a good alternative when you need it.
5. Jump rope: Surprisingly, I don’t get the same pain from jumping rope as I do from running. So I jump rope frequently. If you haven’t jumped rope in a while, you may find that your endurance is low at first. No problem. Stick with it and increase your time every time you jump. And before long, 15 to 30 minutes will be no problem.
6. Walk the Mall: If the weather is bad or you want a change of scenery, walk the mall. You can window shop. But don’t stop when you see something you like. Wait ‘til you’re done. And use the stairs for added resistance and intensity.

My goal here was to help you find different ways to maximize your step count, making it a little easier to get to 10K a day. And pair it with some of your cardio training sessions for efficiency.

Tell me, what’s working for you? Share a comment below.

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, please share it with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.

We are into the home stretch as we enter Month #5 of our 6 healthy habits. Woohoo!

Are you feeling great? I hope the momentum of healthy habits is building for you…

I want you to know that you’re not alone. I’m right there with you. Living these same habits every day!

So far we’ve focused on improving our daily & weekly regimen with:

1. Drinking more water,
2. Starting or getting more exercise,
3. Sleeping 7 to 8 hours per night, and
4. Eating more nutritious food.

These are some of the core essential elements that provide significant benefits to your healthy lifestyle. And this week we will add “Walking” to our list. Walking has been proven to be a healthy habit. Something we need to be doing all the time, even though I saved it for nicer weather.

Our bodies are powerful and resilient. And we’ve got to keep moving to remain healthy and strong.

Walking is low impact. Yet it’s great exercise in so many ways. For example: At a brisk pace, walking not only strengthens your legs and core. It gets your heart rate up. It aids in circulation and breathing. And helps to clear your head – I do some of my best thinking and problem-solving when I’m on a walk (next best place is the shower). And if it’s sunny, you get to boost your Vitamin D production. Just remember the sunscreen.

Dr. Mehmet Oz recommends 10,000 steps per day (aka “10K a day”). And he’s not the only one.

By the way, logging 10,000 steps is no small feat. You’ve got to be deliberate and make time for it. Otherwise you will struggle to get anywhere close to hitting that goal every day.

Let’s clarify some things in a brief Q&A:

(Q1).   What counts as a step?

(A1).   Everything. But as with most things, quality matters. The faster or brisker your pace, the better. We are all at different fitness levels. And you will know when the steps you’re taking are meaningful, and when they’re not. Regardless, find a way to get to 10K a day!

(Q2).   How do I track my daily step count?

(A2).    The easiest way is with your smartphone. Or you can use a pedometer (fitness band or smartwatch).

(Q3).   How do I track my progress?

(A3).    Your smartphone. As an iPhone user, I use the built-in Apple Health app. It automatically tracks your step activity, as long as your phone is with you when you’re moving. It also displays your “daily average” steps on a dashboard. Plus a whole lot more health-related data. There are plenty of health-related apps on the Android. I’m just not aware of an all-inclusive one like the iPhone offers.

(Q4).   Why 10,000 steps?

(A4).    Well first off, 10,000 steps equates to approximately 5 miles. Based on my research, I discovered that 10,000 began as an arbitrary number. 10,000 steps was originally created as a promotion by a Japanese pedometer company. But since that time, studies have confirmed that 10,000 appears to be the sweet spot where people lose weight and gain control of their health & wellness.

This brief article is packed with useful information about activity, ways to increase your step count, and top picks for pedometers, fitness bands, and smartwatches.

Will you commit to 10K a day?

Thank you for sharing your time with me. I’d love for you to let me know what you think by leaving a comment. Is the content valuable and helpful? Did anything resonate? Will you take action? What else would you like to see in future posts?

If you know someone that can benefit from this content, I’d be eternally grateful if you would share this with them. And if you like what you see, you can SUBSCRIBE for automatic updates, LIKE US on Facebook, and spread the word about www.thin2win.net with your friends, family and social circles.