Pedometer walking
A Pedometer can be useful tool for anyone aiming to gain the anti-aging benefits of walking. There are scientific studies that show these little devices are motivating for those starting a walking program and they are of real help in preventing any slide back to 'couch potato' once that program is going.
A pedometer is a small gadget that you wear on your belt and it records how many step you take while it is place. If you know how long your stride is and you want to know 'how far' you walk in a day, there are some of these gadgets that allow you to program then. They will then convert your steps into miles or kilometers. Others are even more techie and they give time of day and the number of calories burned.
But a simple step counter will do for any one interested in using walking as part of their anti-aging program.
Most active adults normally walk about between 2 and 3 miles a day (2,000 - 3,000 steps). Health experts advise that walking begins to have beneficail health effects when we are taking about 6,000 steps a day. That comes to about 6 miles. Some say that 10,000 steps a day would be optimal.
There was a time when adults could take an hour and walk several miles along country roads or trails. Others who worked in construction or farming, would do 7 or 8 miles a day s part of their jobs. But today most adults have jobs that are much more sedentary and long commutes only add to their lack of exercise.
Many would find it too difficult to devote a whole hour to walking in the fresh air or even on an indoor track. If you ask most people to walk 6 miles a day, they think "No way! Where would I get the TIME."
But it is possible for the average adult to reach such goals if they use a pedometer and set themselves some goals. If you need to increase the number of your steps by 100 each day, you will soon find that you DO find a way to do this. day is a start.
To us a pedometer effectively you need to create a program:
First, put it on in the morning and keep it on all day. For the first week , just keep a record of the number of steps you have taken before bedtime.
At the end of the first week, average up the number of steps you have taken each day. If it is under 6,000 steps a day, start creating a daily goal of 100 more steps.
Think about how you can add a few more steps. Perhaps you can park further from the building or get off the bus one or two stops early. Maybe you can take a walk during your lunch break or revive that old fashioned custom of a walk after dinner. If you have a family, taking someone along with your on your after dinner walk is a great way to increase bonding - since it would be special time with you.
It does not have to be long. Waling even 5 or 10 minutes will add a lot of steps to your count!
Remember, you are not aiming to walk an extra 5 miles on the weekend. What you are trying to do is to increase your activity each and every day.
Does pedometer walking work? Can a gadget really help you increase the amount you walk?
The answer is a resounding, YES.
The Stamford Medical School reviewed over 25 studies done in the last 40 years and found that persons using a pedometer walk "about 2,000 steps - or 1 mile" more every single day than those who do not use one of the step counters. That comes to 6 - 7 miles a week.
And the health benefits accumulate. Researchers found that those using step counters lost a few pounds over the next 6 months and their blood pressure numbers move into a healthier range. Researches are not sure that the extra walking in itself did this but they could not miss that these beneficial health results accompanied the use of step counting.
What kind of pedometer is the best?
Today you have a wide range of choices. These gadgets come in a wide range of prices, from a few dollar to hi tech wizards that cost close to $100.
You can get them in plain black or a series of designer colors. The choice is yours. What you do want to be sure is that yours is accurate.
Be sure to test its accuracy. Put it on and walk 10 - 15 steps. Count them yourself. Then check your gadget to see if recorded the same number.
It is worth rechecking accuracy every week or so in the same way. Walk 15 steps. The look to see if you pedometer has recorded the correct number I suggest this because a few years ago I had one of the gadgets and after about a month, it was registering 10,000 - 12,000 steps a day. I was feeling really pleased with myself until I noticed that it recorded about 22 steps when I just crossed the room. So I counted out steps as I walked to the kitchen. Sure enough, that pedometer had gone 'off' and was recording steps that I never took.
Recheck the accuracy of yours on regular basis. And good luck with your program to increase anti-aging benefits through increasing the number of steps your take each day.
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