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Walking your way to good health – one step at a time
At some stage, you’ve probably heard that the ideal number of steps each day is 10,000. This number comes from research that suggests that 30 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical exercise – the ideal amount to maintain good health – is the equivalent of about 10,000 steps. For those that aren’t as physically capable, or perhaps a little lazy, then walking is a good alternative.
The problem is that 10,000 can sometimes seem like an impossible target, especially for people who aren’t in the habit of walking much. However, there are plenty of small things that you can do that will help you make 10,000 steps a daily habit.
Start with a morning walk
One of the easiest ways to get more steps into your day is to start with a morning walk before any other activities. Take a short walk around your local park, or just a couple of blocks, and you’ll not only get some of those steps in, but you’ll feel fresher and better prepared for the day ahead.
Take the stairs instead of the lift
Another simple way to get more steps into your day is to take the stairs instead of the lift whenever possible. This is even better than walking on flat ground because it requires more effort. Climbing and descending a couple of floors of steps each day is a great way of keeping your leg muscles in good condition. And if you live in a high-rise, then just take a couple of floors by the stairs before switching to the lift.
Park further away from your destination
A surprisingly effective trick to force yourself to walk a bit more. Rather than grab the nearest spot to your destination, use the next carpark over, or park a block or so away. You’ll barely notice the impact it has on you, physically, but suddenly you’ve added more steps to your day.
Join a walking group
One of the best ways to stay enthusiastic about something is to make it social. Walking groups are a great way to get out and see the town while having a good chat along the way.
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Not only are pets excellent for mental well-being, but many animals need assisted exercise, and that gives you an excuse to go for a walk. Cats and dogs can both be walked – just make sure that you don’t choose a dog that will be too powerful if it pulls on its harness. For most seniors, a small or medium-sized dog is the best bet. Walk your pet twice per day and the 10,000-step goal looks much more achievable.
Mix things up with the daily routine
Exploring new places can help you get more steps into your day. This doesn’t mean you need to jump on a plane and travel the world (though you could do that!). It could be as simple as taking a different route when walking to the shops or go looking for a different café for a morning coffee. If you’ve regularly walked past a local art gallery or museum, take a bit of time and actually go in and explore it.
The point of many of these ideas is simply to make walking a habit that you don’t really think about. Then more ingrained it is to get up and walk around, the more you’ll naturally get that step counter up.
Trying to walk 10,000 steps in one go can be exhausting, even for healthy people. But walking 1,000 or so steps 10 times a day as you go about the day is so achievable you won’t even be aware that you’re doing it – except when your wearable health device gives you a little celebration ‘ding’ when you hit the target.
