10,000 Step Campaign
Benefits of Exercise
Cardiovascular and Respiratory System Benefits:
- Decreases resting blood pressure and heart rate.
- Increases the amount of blood pumped per minute when exercising at a higher intensity.
- Reduces blood clots which lowers the risk for coronary heart disease and strokes.
- Increases cardiovascular endurance or aerobic capacity.
- Enhances lung function at rest and during exercise.
- Increases high density lipoprotein cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol.
- Raises blood volume and ability to transfer oxygen.
Muscular and Skeletal System Benefits:
- Increases muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility.
- Improves posture and reduces chance of low back pain and joint and/or skeletal injuries.
- Helps maintain bone mass in adults, which reduce the risk for osteoporosis.
- Increases the strength of tendons and ligaments.
- Enhances blood supply to the muscles and the ability to utilize oxygen.
Metabolic Benefits:
- Increases resting metabolic rate.
- Reduces risk for diabetes.
- Prevention and management of diabetes.
- Increases the amount of energy and individual has.
Body Weight and Composition Benefits:
- Easier to maintain a healthy body weight.
- Helps maintain muscle mass.
- Improves ability to utilize fat.
- Reduces intra-abdominal fat.
Mental Health Benefits:
- Reduces depression and anxiety.
- Promotes psychological well-being and reduces feelings of stress.
- Improves self-esteem.
- Increases attention and memory.
- Enhances one's perception of their ability to attain personal goals.
For those people who use the common excuse that they do not have the time or money to exercise properly, the solution can be as simple as taking more steps throughout the day. Walking is a great way for individuals of all ages to become more active and it can offer all of the benefits associated with exercise. If our goal is to increase the amount of steps people take within a day to 10,000 steps, it is also important to note what that means in terms of levels of activity. According to Dr. Catrine Tudor-Locke, an associate professor at Arizona State University, levels of activity can be determined by looking at step counts:
- Less than 5,000 steps per day = Sedentary
- Between 5,000-7,499 steps per day = Low Active
- Between 7,500-9,999 steps per day = Somewhat Active
- 10,000 steps per day = Active
- More than 12,500 steps per day = Highly Active
Another way to look at the amount of steps is to know approximately how many steps there are in a mile. It is recommended that someone looking to accurately determine how many steps there are in a mile to calculate their own stride length. However, on average, the stride length of a human being is around 2.5 feet long. If a person's stride length is the average, than it would take close to 2,000 steps to complete a mile. Therefore, if this individual was walking 10,000 steps a day, they would be completing 5 miles.
If 10,000 steps seems to be an impossible amount to reach, a good way of increasing your steps is to wear a pedometer for a week and determine how many steps you take on an average day. This is considered your baseline step count. Try to increase the amount of steps you take from that average in small quantities. Suppose your average step count is 3,000 steps a day, try and increase 500 steps every day for a week or two until you are around 10,000 steps. The most important thing is to increase the amount until you are able to reach the goal of 10,000 steps.
Some ways to help increase your step counts daily:
- Take a walk with your spouse, child, or friend
- Walk the dog
- Use the stairs instead of the elevator
- Park farther from the store or classes
- Better yet, walk to the store or to campus
- Get up to change the channel
- Window shop
- Plan a walking meeting
- Walk over to visit a neighbor or friend
- Get outside to walk around the garden or do a little weeding
For more information on ways to integrate more steps into your day visit, http://www.smallstep.gov/
