A Step in the Right Direction
Most of us have heard of the benefits of walking at least 10,000 steps a day. Weight loss and heart health are just a few of the benefits of daily walking. Unfortunately, if you have a sedentary office job, spend a lot of time behind the wheel of a vehicle or have a full schedule, achieving 10,000 steps a day can seem overwhelming if not impossible. But what if I told you simply adding 1,000 steps a day would provide positive benefits and start you on a positive path? Below are 4 benefits to adding 1,000 steps a day to your routine, and a few simple suggestions on how to work it into your daily habits.
Before we start, let’s think about what 1,000 steps a day means. It may not sound like much but, on average, 1,000 steps translate to roughly half a mile. 365,000 steps a year translates to roughly 180 miles of extra movement in a year. 180 miles worth of movement will bring some positive health benefits!
- Your heart won’t have to work as hard. Movement makes your muscles better able to pump blood throughout the body, so your heart rate comes down. Simply going from being sedentary to engaging in even modest levels of activity will benefit your health and can decrease your risk of heart disease.
- Lower your risk of stroke. Extra physical activity directly reduces your chance of having a stroke. It also helps keep blood pressure in check, which also reduces the risk of stroke.
- Helps to reduce stress. A daily short, brisk walk can help clear your head and reduce stress levels. When you exercise, your body produces endorphins, or ‘feel-good’ chemicals. Physical activity also reduces levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
- Stronger bones. According to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, any weight-bearing activity can help strengthen your skeleton and fight osteoporosis.
Now you know some of the benefits, here are a few simple suggestions on adding 1,000 steps to your daily routine.
- Stop using the drive-thru. Park and walk into the bank or fast food stop instead
- Park in a central location and walk to your errand destinations
- Return your shopping cart all the way to the front of the store
- Park in the back of the parking lot and walk farther to the door
- Park in the back of the parking lot and walk farther to the door
- Join a group of friends and create a steps challenge or distance goal. Having others hold you accountable is strong motivation.
Personally, when I go shopping, I walk up and down each aisle. My local Costco provides 2 miles of aisles to walk…plus, it’s climate controlled and provides a dry place to walk in the rain.
The bottom line is to get yourself moving, if you aren’t already. It’s simple and you don’t need to go run a marathon next week. Simply adding 1,000 steps a day to what you are already doing will make a difference.
