Let's Walk

Let’s Walk

Fitness trackers have become a household name.  A recent study showed that there is a discrepancy between which trackers are the most accurate and Fitbit came out on top as being the most accurate in the majority of studies.  Why use a fitness tracker at all and how many steps a day should you really be aiming for? 

New York Times columnist and Nobel laureate Paul Krugman uses a device to record his steps. he wrote in his blog,“What fitness devices do, at least for me, is make it harder to lie to myself.” Technology helps to keep us on track and accountable to ourselves.

I too use a fitness tracker and would have to agree that it keeps me accountable to myself and it pushes me to keep moving and to make sure I schedule time into my day to walk. Often I will park my car further away in order to reach my goal of 10,000stepsor choose to walk and not drive at all or take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Speaking of 10,000 steps, if you walk at least 7,500 steps a day, you’re in the ballpark because you’re likely to be meeting the national guidelines. The idea of walking 10,000 steps actually originated in 1965 when the Japanese pioneered and popularized the 10,000-a-day rule when a man named Y. Hatano put forth an early version of a pedometer called the "manpo-kei," which in English translates to mean "10,000 steps meter.”

Waking has so many health benefits not just for your body but for your mind as well. Walking is one of my favorite activities to clear my head if I am walking alone, I put on my headphones and listen to my favorite tunes. If I am walking with a friend it’s great to chat along the way and before you know it you have walked 10,000 steps or more. The 10,000 steps is just a guideline, the more you walk the better it is for your health. I strive for this guideline everyday and more because I have come to love walking and the effects it has on my mind, body and spirit. 

If you would like to explore more on being your BEST or finding better life balance, contact me for your FREE consultation @ mary.healthychoices4life@gmail.com