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Your Pedometer - Don’t Leave Home Without It

Posted February 16, 2008 at 02:00 PM by Kathleen Blanchard

Section: Her Fitness, Athletics, Training Programs, Her Health, Her Motivation

Walking is great exercise, but you’re likely to do a lot better if you take a pedometer as your guide. Studies show that by using a pedometer based walking program, it is possible to lose a modest amount of weight, even if you’re not dieting.

It’s a fact that people who walk more are thinner than those who walk less. The beauty of taking your pedometer is that you can consciously increase your steps by taking short walks several times a day. If you prefer to set your standards higher for one long walk, just increase your steps little by little.

Generally speaking, 2000 steps equals about one mile. By increasing your step count you can gradually increase your walking activity from one to two miles, making weight loss quite attainable. 

When you walk at least 20 to 40 minutes daily you are meeting the range of healthy exercise recommended by national guidelines. Walking at about 3mph constitutes a 20-40 minute walk - or 2000 steps.  When you use a pedometer, it’s easy to increase your step count enough to shed those pounds.

Studies have documented the success of pedometer based walking programs. Longer walks, or more steps, were associated with a greater degree of weight loss even in the absence of dietary changes.

The message is pretty clear. Combine a pedometer based walking program with dietary changes and you will experience even greater results. You may lose ½ pound per week at first, but with every increase in exercise duration you will see that amount increase. 

If you’re having a hard time sticking to dietary changes, you should still walk – you are going to lose weight. You may not get there quickly, especially at first, so it’s important to stick with it.

There’s no reason to give up on better health even if your approach may not seem perfect. The focus is on making the commitment - just go forward.

The longer you walk, the more weight you will lose, and the more health benefits you’ll begin to experience. Make your pedometer your fitness buddy – every step of the way.

“Walking is the best possible exercise.
Habituate yourself to walk very far.”
- Thomas Jefferson.

Kathleen Blanchard is a Registered Nurse with a background in preventative health and nutrition. Read more from Kathleen by visiting her blog.

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Tags: 000 steps a day, 10, fitness advice, fitness research, pedometer, pedometer walking, walking fitness, walking programs, walking tips, weight loss, women's fitness, workout tips

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