How many steps a day to lose weight?
The target of an ADDITIONAL 10,000 steps
You may have read someplace that it is adding 10,000 steps a day to be healthy. Although you could walk 10,000 more steps in a day, and some do. 10,000 steps is approximately 5 miles and the average person would walk it in around 100 minutes.
Don’t be discouraged by thinking you have to ADD 10,000 more steps to your day. The total goal of 10,000 steps a day includes what you are already doing. Just add the number necessary to total up to the full 10,000.
This is why you will wear your pedometer all day long.
To calculate the number of steps YOU take in a mile, based on your leg length or stride.
Fortunately, the most common 10,000 steps challenges are based on adding steps to what you already do now to benefit from the additional exercise.
10,000 steps calories
Burning calories just like consuming calories is a cumulative thing. That means you can add up your progress over time.
Assuming you have started your fitness walking goal to begin with accomplishing an additional 10,000 steps per week you may initially plan to walk 1500 more steps each day (takes the average of 10 min for 1000 steps walking at a moderate pace). What can you do if something comes up and Tuesday you have no time to walk?
By having a step counter pedometer and a firm goal of 10,000 steps by end week you can do an extra 500 steps for the following three days and still benefit at the end of the week by burning the full 3500 calories.
Stuff happens in life and this is an effective way of maintaining your goals.
Beginning your fitness and weight loss goal with walking 10,000 steps is great because it teaches you goal setting, journaling and is a great way to feel good about what you are doing because it is easy to measure and record, and absolutely produces positive results.
If you find it difficult to walk for any length of time due to obligations or health. It is perfectly fine to walk for just 3 min or 5 min or whatever you can do. With the pedometer recording 10,000 steps, you can see first-hand how doing short walks will add up to a big achievement.
Remember it IS cumulative.
10,000 steps weight loss is achieved over the week whether you go for 30 minutes at a time or go for six x 5 minute walks. It’s all good!
10000 steps program
Don’t forget you are moving throughout the day already. It’s a good idea to get a baseline of your average activity. You can do this by wearing your pedometer all day, everyday for the first week.
You may be surprised to find out how much more – or less you are walking than you had originally thought. Awareness of your physical activities is the first step to fitness.
The more aware you are of yourself and your habits, the more prepared you are when you are making positive changes toward your health.
Once you know what your average activity level is you can make small daily adjustments to bring yourself into fitness. It is easy to design a 10000 steps program that is specifically designed for you and your needs.
Training walking and fitness tips
As you progress in your walking fitness regime you may find that you want to do more. If you are planning on exercising for more than 30 minutes you should make sure you are dressing appropriately and have water.
As indicated on Walking for Weight Loss you do not need any special equipment. But once you find you are exercising outside for an hour or more – you have become a seasoned walker and need to adjust accordingly.
You may want to look at getting some pieces of walking equipment.
Additional walking equipment needed may include dressing in layers, taking water, and maybe an energy bar. Both novice or advanced walkers need to be seen so wear bright and reflective clothing and FACE traffic if you have to walk on the road.
Maintaining motivation can be helped by keeping a journal.
Go here for more Walking for Fitness Tips.
Muscle pain
It’s going to hurt sometimes.
Don’t be afraid of some muscle pain – you can read about Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness or DOMS here.
Make sure you are doing warmups and a full stretching routine after, you will quickly adapt to your new walking fitness routine.
If you want to know what really hurts, walk a couple of miles on a sandy beach in your bare feet. Your calf’s will be like tight, angry, little golf balls the next day. But a really great workout for your legs and increased caloric expenditure over the same distance and time.
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