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The 10,000–Steps Challenge
How a pedometer helped this writer walk fitness back into her life.
By Suzanne Bopp
Quick, take a guess: How many steps do you take in a day? If you’re anything like me, you probably think that during the normal routine of doing errands, going to work and running around the house, you’re on your feet plenty. But as I quickly found out when I bought a pedometer, my lifestyle was far more sedentary than I thought. I decided it was time to get back on my feet and take the 10,000–steps challenge.
The challenge has some simple logic behind it: Fitness experts say that to stay healthy and in shape, we should aim to walk that distance each day. (If you’re curious, that’s about five miles, depending on your stride.) Most of us, as it turns out, are getting something closer to 6,000 steps — if we’re lucky. I discovered that I would need to add about 30 minutes of walking to my daily routine.
Happily, walking is one of the easiest and most enjoyable exercises around: It requires no gym membership, equipment or special skills. Obviously, walking is good for the body: It strengthens bones and cardiovascular function and can also reduce your risks of developing breast and colon cancers. Better still, it benefits your brain, pumping up the regions in charge of memory, problem solving, focus and concentration.
So I bought a pedometer and clipped it to my belt. My first day of the challenge was a Saturday, so I had time to do my errands on foot. I walked to the drugstore, the mall and even dinner at a neighborhood restaurant. By that evening, I’d taken 14,742 steps, and I felt a little tired, but in a good way. On Sunday I went 10,876 steps, again by walking to places I’d usually drive to. This challenge was looking pretty easy.
However, when Monday rolled around, everything changed. I was back at my computer and had a full day’s work to do. I work from home, so my commute is about 15 steps from bed to desk. By noon I’d taken 145 measly steps. I walked to the coffee shop, trying to boost my numbers. Still, by that evening I had still reached only 5,043 steps. It was disappointing, but the next day got even worse. At 3:30 pm I’d taken just 748 steps! I had to turn this thing around. After work I went for a walk and kept at it until the pedometer reached 10,000.
I found the pedometer was well worth the small expense as a real motivator. I find myself checking it throughout the day, feeling instant gratification if the number is high, or a twinge of guilt if it’s low. When that happens, it’s easy to rectify — I head out for a walk. Sure, I could have done that without the pedometer, but the device acts like a tiny workout partner, giving me cold, hard feedback I can’t argue with.
And it turns out I’m not alone in that: Pedometer users in controlled trials walked 2,491 more steps per day than those without pedometers, lowering their systolic blood pressure by nearly four points. That may sound small, but it’s seriously beneficial: Just a two-point reduction is associated with a 10-percent decrease in stroke deaths.
Are you ready for the 10,000-steps challenge? Share your story below.
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I like the whole pedometer concept. Like the author, I find it to be a great motivator. However, I've given up on the idea. I'm short and there isn't much room in my waist section. I found that a pedometer clipped to my waist band constantly beeps and changes functions whenever I bend or shift. (Too many rolls of fat?) I next tried a pocket pedometer. Since I don't wear close-fitting pants, the pedometer moves too freely in my pocket and counts steps even when I'm sitting still. I'd love to be able to use a pedometer and be motivated to walk, but I don't feel like putting out more money for another model that might also turn out to be a disappointment.
I think this is a fabulous idea if you've never been much for exercising. I walk miles every day,and trained for 7 months last year to do the Breast Cancer 3 Day so my body has gotten use to that much exercise. Needless to say, weight doesn't fall off any more. It takes a lot more than 10,000 steps a day to see any movement.