Weight Loss: How Many Steps Per Day?
Exercising every day can be very beneficial in terms of shedding excess weight. The President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition suggests that we should all undertake the moderate aerobic exercise for at least two and half hours a week, but if you want to lose weight you should be aiming at least five hours. If you incorporate daily walks into your exercise regimen, you’ll find it very helpful for weight loss.
Those feet were made for walking
Walking is an effective element of a program to lose weight healthily. Firstly, you should locate your current levels of activity. If you don’t regularly exercise, start out gently. If you’re already exercising regularly, exercise for longer or harder; this will burn extra calories and help you to lose weight. If you up to your walking speed or introduce stairs or hills into your routine, that will burn more calories as well.
Walking and activity levels
Arizona State University researchers have created levels for baseline activity on the basis of how many steps an individual takes per day. Those who do not exceed 5000 steps are regarded as sedentary or inactive. Those who take between 5000 and 7499 steps per day are regarded as having low activity levels; between 7,499 and 9,999 steps per day is regarded as somewhat active, and active individuals take 10,000+ steps each day.
Losing weight by walking
10,000 steps is roughly equal to 30 minutes of strenuous exercise or a 5-mile walk each day. If you stick to 10,000 steps per day, you’ll burn an extra 2000 to 3500 cal each week. A pound of fat is equal to 3500 calories. Americans, on average, take between 2,300 to 3,000 steps each day. Compare this to the Amish community, where the average adult takes around 19,000 steps each day; it’s no coincidence that the Amish community has the smallest percentage of obese adults anywhere in America.
Start out easy
You could just walk for an hour at 5 mph and get all your 10,000 steps in at once; do that each day and you will lose on average a pound a week. However, that may well seem impossible, especially if you are overweight and unfit. Start out slowly and see how much exercise you can tolerate. If you only managed 3000 steps in a day, congratulate yourself and aim to manage 3500 tomorrow. There is always a way to fit in some more steps; get off the bus one stop early, use the stairs instead of the elevator, or go for a stroll at lunchtime instead of sitting at your desk.
Pedometers: powerful tools
Pedometers are very useful when counting the number of steps you made each day. Pedometers can be set to your specific gait for greater accuracy and they can be worn on your waistband or your wrist as you wish. Make a habit of wearing your pedometer every day and it will encourage you to get those 10,000 steps in and so help you lose weight.
