4 of 34

Write now Article Tools

We've all heard by now that a goal of 10,000 steps a day is a great step (pardon the pun) towards achieving overall fitness. Of course, this sounds like a lot of stepping, and for many people it is. The first step (there's that pun again) is to buy a pedometer. Once you have this handy little gadget calibrated to match your average stride, all you have to do is clip it to your belt and forget about it. At the end of the day, take a look at just how far you've walked that day.

Repeat this monitoring program for at least three to five days and take an average. That will give you a better overall picture of just how much walking you do.

Having this average is just the beginning. Whatever number of steps you come up with, it's almost certain you will want to increase this number. Your first goal can be to increase the number of steps you take each day by 2,000. There are many ways to do this, some rather simple, others requiring a little more commitment on your part.

Let's take a look at some of the options.

1) Park your car at a good distance away from your destination. Walking across the parking lot instead of just hoping out of your car a quick twelve steps from the door can add a hundred or more steps to your total.

2) Take the stairs instead of the elevator. This adds steps to your daily total plus gives you a little cardiovascular workout on top of it.

3) In the office, skip the e-mail or phone call and walk down the hallway to the office of the person you need to speak with. Personal interaction has suffered a lot in this age of technological advancement.

4) After dinner, take a walk around the block. Take fifteen minutes out of your busy life to relax, unwind and walk. Enlist the company of your spouse, neighbor or child and add some quality time to the event.

5) Buy a treadmill, and use it. Thirty minutes at just three miles an hour will come close to giving you those 2,000 steps. Pop a DVD into the player and watch a good movie or learn a new language while you're walking along.

6) Change the way you think. Every activity has the potential for adding steps as you carry it out. When you take out the garbage, make two or three trips instead of trying to carry everything at once. Do the same with your groceries when you're unloading the car.

In this age of every increasing conveniences, it has become a goal to try to eliminate the amount of effort we put forth in our day to day activities. It's time to reverse this trend. Every step you take today is one more step you'll have the ability to take tomorrow.

Learn more about this author, Leann Zotis.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about How to add 2,000 steps to your day?
We want to hear your view. Write now!