Walking is a great way to improve your health and fitness without the mental and physical exhaustion or risk of injury that other forms of exercise carry (running, HIIT, weight training). According to the Heart Foundation, walking carries the benefits of reducing the risk of heart attack, improving blood cholesterol, and reducing blood pressure. Walking may also boost your energy, calm you down, improve your mood, and help you lose weight.
But how much walking should you be doing per day?
The truth is, any amount of walking will benefit you, but more is better. You may have heard of the “10,000 steps a day” rule, as most fitness apps and watches focus on 10,000 steps per day, but is that the magic number? While it’s true that 10,000 steps a day will provide you with ample health benefits, you shouldn’t worry too much about the number. The amount of steps you should take per day depends on you. For some, 10,000 steps a day may be a daunting and challenging task, while for others, 10,000 is a goal that’s easily crushed.
For the ones who already do 10,000 steps a day or more, great! Keep on going! But for those of you who look at that number and feel demotivated, it’s important to understand that progressive improvement is the name of the game here. Try to add steps here and there throughout the day.
Tips to add some steps to your day
- Park farther away from work
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator
- Take the dog for a walk or two
- Go for a stroll during breaks
- Do a lap or two around the house during commercial breaks
Even if you only add 500 steps to your daily routine, that’s still 500 more than yesterday. More is always better, so keep striving for 10,000 steps a day. Get stepping!
If there are other health concerns that are holding you back from increasing your daily step count, contact Apex Physical Therapy Specialists today to schedule a comprehensive evaluation and develop a personalized treatment plan to get you back to optimum health.