Studies have proven that exercise is the most important thing that you can do for your health. It is the magic pill everyone is looking for but it is very difficult to swallow. I would like to suggest a way to increase your exercise even while you work. It consists of trying to get 10,000 steps per day which has been proven to improve health. This is not easy and does take time but by monitoring your steps throughout the day you can achieve this goal. It may take months to work up to this amount of walking but in the end it will be worth it and you will feel much better and be much healthier.
First, you will need to get a pedometer. Fitbit Flex is worn on the wrist and measures steps, sleeping hours and distance. It also shows graphs of weight and helps count calories. The website is http://wwwfitbit.com/flex. Striiv.com sells a delightful pedometer which is also a computer about the size of a pedometer. It can distinguish between walking, running and climbing steps. It records all of your activity and at the same time every step taken counts as a donation to charity at no cost to the user. You can designate if you want to provide water to children in South America, Immunize children in India for Polio or help preserve the rain forest in Africa. It also has a game similar to Farmville but you create your own enchanted island powered by your steps. I have found that the pedometer from Brookstone works very well in that it is accurate and saves your steps from the previous seven days. I’m sure there are many other pedometers which work well. You can carry them in your pocket if preferred rather than attaching them to your belt. If you want to know how far you have gone you will need to set the length of your step. It should be between 28 and 34 inches. You don’t really need to have this information but it is nice to know.
Now you have to start thinking about where you can get more steps. Parking further away from work, taking the steps at work, taking the long route to the restroom and walking around the block before work, after lunch and possibly even after work. It helps to make it a permanent part of your day.
Of course other exercises besides walking are also good. Sometimes it is helpful to do several different exercises during the week. Exercises to strengthen your muscles are also very good for your health.
The Center for disease control now recommends everyone exercise for 30-90 minutes preferably daily. It is nice to know you can get much of your exercise during your usual routine if you just think about how you can get more steps.
The information provided above is offered as a community service about health-care issues and is not a substitute for individual consultation. Advice on individual problems should be obtained from your personal physician. This information is based on research by the author and represents his interpretation of the literature.
