10,000 Steps to Better Fitness
By Chris Hammerlund
The most useful suggestion for activity or exercise is the one that matches up to your life most naturally.
But that's the question with exercise isn't it? If your desire to exercise doesn't cause you to change your life, then how can it possibly make a difference? The underlying truth is that exercise seldom works if you simply drop an artificial exercise regime on top of a sedentary lifestyle expecting it to be a lifechanger. Something has to change. As in, you have to change a little.
The hottest concept in fitness these days gradually morphs exercise into a natural part of your life - a slightly “new” life based on activity
It's called the “10,000 steps a day” program. Some corporations have adopted it for their employees, but anybody can use it.
Here's the theory. Even total couch potatoes take a predictable number of steps each day. Fit people do the same. The difference in the number of steps is not so much a function of exercise. It's a function of how they life their lives.
So, how many steps each day translate into the likelihood of fitness. The answer is about 10,000 which sounds like a lot. But even couch potatoes average about 2,000 a day. It takes about 2,000 steps to walk a mile and so 10,000 steps is about five miles.
To reach 10,000, you don't have to quintuple the total from one day to the next. But add 500 steps every day. The object is to increase the daily rate. A good walk with the dog will work wonders. Buy a pedometer and track your steps. They'll add up.
So, here's the good part. There are hundreds of ways to “walk” by doing other fun things besides walking. Here some equivalencies of common physical events that translate into steps:
Aerobic dancing (low impact) - 115
Aerobics (intense) - 190
Aerobic step training, 4" step (beginner) - 145
Backpacking (no load) - 155
Backpacking with 10 pound load - 180
Backpacking with 30 pound load - 235
Badminton - 150
Basketball (game) - 220
Basketball (leisurely, non-game) - 130
Bicycling, 10 mph (6 minutes/mile) - 125
Bowling - 55
Canoeing, 2.5 mph - 75
Cross-country snow skiing (leisurely) - 155
Cross-country snow skiing (moderate) - 220
Cross-country snow skiing (intense) - 330
Cycling, 15 mph (5 minutes/mile) - 200
Cycling, 5 mph - 55
Dancing (fast) - 175
Gardening (heavy) - 155
Gardening (moderate) - 90
Golfing (with a cart) - 70
Handball - 230
Housework - 90
Ice skating (leisurely) - 95
Mopping - 85
Mowing - 135
Painting - 80
Ping Pong - 90
Racquetball - 205
Roller skating (moderate) - 150
Rowing machine - 180
Running 8 mph (7.5 minutes/mile) - 305
Running 10 mph (6 minutes/mile) - 350
Scrubbing the floor - 140
Scuba diving - 140
Shopping for groceries - 60
Skipping rope - 285
Snow shoveling - 195
Snow skiing, downhill - 130
Soccer (competitive) - 195
Squash - 205
Stair climber machine - 160
Stair climbing - 140
Swimming (25 yrds/minute) - 120
Swimming (50 yards/minute) - 225
Swimming (75 yards/min) - 290
Tennis (doubles) - 110
Tennis (singles) - 160
Vacuuming - 75
Volleyball (leisurely) - 70
Washing the car - 75
Water Skiing - 160
Waxing the car - 100
Window Cleaning - 75
OK, so I am NOT going to wash windows to get in better shape. That's worse than jogging.