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WALK THIS WAY! |
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According to a recent report just released by the Centers for Disease Control, 7 in 10 Americans do not receive enough physical activity. Why is exercise important? The benefits of exercise are profound and proven. Exercise doesn’t have to be complicated; it’s as easy as walking!
BENEFITS OF WALKING
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10,000 STEPS
How many steps do you walk each day? Maybe you have heard the guidelines about walking 10,000 steps per day.
How far is 10,000, steps anyway? The average person's stride length is approximately 2.5 feet long. That means it takes just over 2000 steps to walk one mile, and 10,000 steps is close to 5 miles.
If you are a sedentary person you may only average about 2000 to 3000 steps a day. Adding steps has many health benefits including weight control, improved blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and a decrease in the risk of cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and heart disease.
A
reasonable goal for most people is to increase average daily steps each week
by 500 per day until you can easily average 10,000 per day. (Example: If you
currently average 3000 daily steps your week one goal is 3500 each day. Week 2
goal is 4000 each day. Continue to 
increase
each week and you should be averaging 10,000 steps by the end of 14 weeks.)
Wearing a
pedometer
is an easy way to track your steps. Start by wearing the pedometer every day
for one week. Put it on when you get up in the morning and wear it until bed
time. Record your daily steps in a log or notebook. By the end of the week you
will know your average daily steps. You might be surprised how many (or how
few) steps you get in each day.
Ways To Increase Your Daily Steps
(Easy ways during your work day)
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Better yet, walk to the store |
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If you are in very poor physical condition or at any point you feel
that you are progressing too rapidly, slow down a bit and try smaller
increases. If you have any health concerns seek your physician's advice prior
to starting or changing your exercise routine.