Have you considered combining two of the world’s most popular forms of stress relief- walking and meditation?
As you’re reading Pedals and Pedometer Steps your main interest in walking may be for fitness and weight loss. Also as you’ve developed your regular walking you may well have noticed yourself feeling better generally.
If you are having difficulty fitting everything into your life and you meditate you can have the best of both world’s with a walking meditation. The video below demonstrates the sort of attention one needs to pay to details.
A major part of my pedometer steps progress has come from combining the activities necessary to get the steps’ target and also to act as a release valve for stress and frustration.
Walking in itself is a wonderful way to divert the mind of frustration and release a feeling of well being. Each step enables us to concentrate on where we are physically, noticing details of our surroundings in positive ways.
The major difference between a Pedometer Steps’ Meditation and the Zen version above is that you will have your pedometer strapped on and be walking with intention to exercise your body at the same time as you rest your mind.
Averaging pedometer steps is a great way to balance the effects of different activity levels between your days. For instance if you work in a sedentary role these days may lead to a low pedometer steps total whereas your non-working activity level may lead to high step counts.
One walker I know, found extreme differences in the steps recorded between days at work depending upon the tasks for those days. Days with a lot of sitting led to 3,000 steps where other days performing a standard task which required physical movement could lead to 17,000 steps.
This happens often and is the reason that recording and averaging over several days is the best method for most people to effectively use pedometer walking.
Aiming generally for the daily 10,000+ steps most walking for weight loss programs recommend, will move your activity for that day to the active level. It usually also leads to weight loss.
Starting out you will need to wear a pedometer while pursuing your daily tasks normally. Having established a baseline for your activity this way, it becomes easy to set a pedometer steps target to progressivley move you closer to the 10,000 pedometer steps ideal.
Sometimes though becoming aware of exactly how little some days’ pedometer steps total, is discouraging even to the point of giving up.
Giving up is not the answer.
This is how using an average of daily pedometer steps based on a suitable time period ( weekly or 5 days, for instance) allows you to do what you can on inactive days and put as much extra walking into those days which lend themselves to activity.
Finding your starting point is important and allows you to increase your target steps on a doable basis.
As an example:
If your initial average daily pedometer steps is 3,000 then increasing it by 500 steps for the next period requires only 5 minutes extra walking a day. Generally if possible start by doing 20 minutes of additional walking each day which will add around 2,000 steps at the recommended walking rate of 3,000 steps in 30 minutes. Once you have successfully added 20 minutes walking once a day, add another 20 minute daily walk if possible.
The result here is going from a base level of 3,000 pedometer steps to 5,000 steps to 7,000 steps.
Averaging:
Assume that you as a new walker who has a full time job and household/family commitments have managed to add one walk 3 times during the week, and sometimes an hour’s walk on the weekend. A normal weekend day is generally busy and you do around 6,000 steps.
The results for pedometer steps is:
3 days of 5,000 steps (includes a 20 minute walk); 2 work days unaltered of 3,000 steps; 1 weekend day including a one hour walk of 12,000 steps; 1 weekend day of 6,000 steps. Total: 39,000 steps.
Average Daily Steps: 5,571
Setting Target:
As a general rule add 10% to your previous steps daily average. In this case, this would be 6,128 and you might like to round it up and make it 6,200. By adding 629 additional daily steps- this is approximately 6.5 minutes of extra pedometer walking- and the new target is easily met.
Possible Scedule:
Every day this next week you will need to add a 5 minute walk (3 days- 2 at work and 1 on the weekend), walk for 25 minutes (3 work days) and for 65 minutes (1 weekend day).
Or some variation of the above.
Averaging pedometer steps is a great way to deal with varying results over different days.
The development of pedometer walking and its concurrent emphasis on daily exercise, is a major breakthrough to success for weight loss walkers.
It has been an evolutionary process for those of us who are pedometer walking for weight loss regularly. The myth is of an active life when living a modern “fast paced” lifestyle which is generally of longer duration and fuller than previous generations’ lifestyles.
Pedometer steps counting enables some perspective on this ‘activity’. How many pedometer steps do you average daily over one week of normal activity? Do you fall into the average 5,000 to 6,000 pedometer steps daily or are you genuinely active during the day and night and do a minimum of 8,000 steps a day?
After a lifetime of finding ways to decrease my activity levels I have reversed this mental direction and now I find ways to increase my physical activity. Pedometer steps is a great way to do this and many people I know have found the simple act of strapping a pedometer on and finding their ‘real’ activity, enough to motivate them to more pedometer steps.
As much walking as I can do without having it taking over my life is 15,000 pedometer steps daily. So it is sensible to look at alternatives which will keep me interested and the walking for weight loss effective. Certainly there are those who enjoy, or from necessity, do more than this number of pedometer steps in an average day, but I have used the pedometer steps method long enough to know my personal enjoyment limit.
It is from a perspective of satisfaction with my walking to lose weight that I have recently decided to add a month of weekly 30 minute trainer sessions at the gym. My thoughts are a little different from those who take on a ‘do or die’ effort a la The Biggest Loser or bootcamp style classes. On the one hand my weight loss is such that I am nearing a satisfying size (I rely on the way my clothes fit rather than what the scales show) and my change in attitude and lifestyle inspires me to keep involved in pedometer steps counting and walking for weight balance. The other side of this is that I would like to set myself up for successful transition into a full time business commitment. The many benefits from walking are so pertinent to success in business that I am including it as a major business tool. Balance that with the desire to short cut into the final phase of weight management and you can see where I am-adding some hoped for short cuts for the next 4 weeks to act as a springboard into a new lifestyle which continues to include pedometer steps and walking to lose weight.
Pedals and Pedometer Steps blog has been, and continues to be, a joy for me. My involvement in all thing Internet has been essential to the strategy behind walking for weight loss. It is a way of keeping me committed. As with setting up a home business, taking on an active lifestyle (10,000+ pedometer steps daily) requires a transition time and process, a lot of which is finding what doesn’t work. Once that’s done however it is time to implement what does work. I am finding the satisfaction in that! I am looking forward to this new phase also.
Making life changes takes preparation. Don’t be discouraged by the times of treading water as these times are followed by wonderful surges forward.
I like to keep my emphasis on exercise when discussing weight loss, and within that category, have chosen pedometer steps as a means of achieving healthy activity every day.
In itself this combination of mental commitment-keeping track of the pedometer steps-as well as physical doing of the exercise helps in two ways:
It normalizes activity.
It helps distract me from using eating as a hobby.
Depending on where someone starts i.e. their level of activity, it may take some time, but eventually using a pedometer all the time, becomes a way of structuring your day.
The major element in this weight loss approach is increased body movement throughout the day. The easiest way for most of us is to walk or do other similar activity.
Food becomes secondary-in both ways. Pedometer steps counting should be combined with a sensible calorie counting “diet”, gradual reduction of excesses such as full sugar sodas, and with a de-emphasis on eating in your day.
There are other methods of food reduction such as eating half the food on your plate and the Japanese recommendation to stop eating when 80% full, etc. Some more are mentioned here: Top 5 Healthiest Diets in America
When a goal of 10,000+ steps is actively pursued throughout the day by adding steps into your lifestyle whether at work or play, it means more time in activity and less time for thinking about or actually doing, eating.
In other words, an active person (which you are now) can only achieve the steps total required by walking (gardening, cleaning, dancing) most of the day. This is not dedicated walking which can achieve the target in a few hours but using the pedometer steps as a guideline of how to get more of the daily tasks done and get your body moving as well.
The gym or walking for exercise is also a great way to go. It can make the 10,000+ daily steps achievable in an otherwise sedentary lifestyle. It can rescue a day which has fallen behind on its steps total. It may be that it fits your lifestyle better- sometimes or all the time.
The key here is to control your diet during the times you have free for eating. The concentrated calorie burning can create more time for calorie consumption, and even a reward mentality. Spreading exercise over your total week offers its own rewards in increased achievement, more fun and a better fit with your lifestyle.
As January ends the pedometer steps newbies are having differing issues which affect their abiities to keep on track. Not to say that there hasn’t been great success. One man has lost 4 kilos (8.8 lbs) and is ranging from 5,000 to 17,000 steps a day. The significant difference in those numbers relates to the vagaries of back to work behaviour.
Another pedometer steps starter has just found the delight that comes from having a ’special’ day, one where the normal range of 3,000 to 8,000 was unexpectedly broken with a landmark 11,000 step day!
These deserve celebration! The object of walking for weight loss is to make those significant days, where results peak over the 10,000 pedometer steps in one day, the norm.
Extras Tips:
Sometimes the pedometer will record extra steps if an activity is jerky. For instance, if you are dancing and moving your arms vigorously, this may make a double action which increases the steps recorded. Should you have a day where the steps seem out of proportion to the amount of exercise you did think back to what sort of activity may have made the difference. The reverse is also likely where substantial exercise is under reported by your pedometer.
Another benefit of keeping track of the daily pedometer steps total is to note the types and length of activity to give yourself an idea of what contributes most to the number of pedometer steps recorded.
You will learn that a 9,000 step day with a weights session is a lot better than a 9,000 step day without the weights class, etc.
If during non-working days of the paid variety you find it difficult to generate steps within the work day, you can add dedicated walks designed to get the pedometer steps up on those days e.g. before, after work or at lunch hour.
An alternative is to use the averaging process and track each day’s steps but look for an average of 10,000 plus. This might mean that for 5 days at work steps are slow, maybe around the 7,000 mark, but over the 2 day weekend with a hike or long walk, or extra activity just from household chores and a social life you are able to generate enough extra steps to make up for the poor week day showing.
Just returned from a most refreshing break which featured pedometer steps quite a bit!
Whether new or not to using pedometer steps as a major walking for weight loss strategy there are always different hints and tips to try.
1. Should you have physical limitations such as neck or back injuries, use a pedometer to ascertain the amount of activity possible without aggravating sore parts. If weight loss is also a goal see if gradually increasing the pedometer steps with careful monitoring will let you stretch your exercise comfort level.
2. If your pedometer which has been working consistently starts behaving erratically- data fluctuating for no reason etc. try changing the battery.
3. Encourage others to ask you how your pedometer steps are going at various times during the day. You will be amazed at how this information will help you coordinate your activities to get the pedometer steps’ total you want for the day.
I’ve been talking and reviewing the progress of some pedometer step counter users-lucky newbies who received pedometers as gifts for Christmas. If your friends and loved ones have given up waiting for you to make the decision to walk for your well being (in some way-there are so many benefits from regular walking it could be for health, weight loss, fun, stress relief, etc) and given you a pedometer then this post may have some relevance for your pedometer steps progress.
Firstly, which pedometer steps category do you come into?
It does often seem to be gender related so this is not intended to disparage one approach over the other- both work brilliantly so choose the attitude which is most likely to benefit you:
1. You want it to be simple and effective, not a certificate course in fitness by pedometer.
2. You love gizmos and technical jargon. The challenge in assessing and achieving goals is a highlight of your walking experience. You could be male!
Look at which category most resembles your attitude over the last few days. Obviously it can be a combination and over time a category 1 can move into category 2 for instance but to start it is best to get to know yourself and how you like to walk, or work, as there are going to be a lot of similarities.
Keep It Simple
Pedometer steps is a very simple approach to walking for weight loss. It is generally based on the 10,000 step concept which alleges that the average person will lose weight if they consistently walk for 10,000 steps a day.
Setting up your step counter usually requires putting in your stride length if a distance estimate is wanted, but otherwise it is plug and play.
The important early tasks are:
remembering to put it on at the same time every day e.g. after your shower and dressing in the morning or when you get up if you are immediately active.
recording your daily steps over a few days, preferably a week, and average them.
set a new pedometer steps target for next week of, say, 500 more steps. E.g. This week you averaged 5600 steps in a week which combined very active days with very slow activity periods. For next week you set a target of 6,100 average pedometer steps. Next week you may find that this is easy to achieve and can reset the target by another 500 steps; if the target seems a struggle it may be the first week was unusual for you, or this week is unusual. Calculate this week’s average results and reset the target by adding 500 pedometer steps.
The Pedometer Challenge
Your pedometer probably has more choices for information retrieval, and requires a bit of setting up, such as calculating your stride and then you may want to assess the accuracy of the distances recorded etc. Stride length does change depending upon the ground, route etc.
The pedometer steps format may be applied successfully here as well. You can use the technology to find distance and calories burned, best routes etc. Recording the information in a personal journal, online forum or between competitors/friends adds a desirable element or incentive for many people.
Either way you are at the beginning and there is much more to enjoying the pedometer steps process whatever your goals. Make using a pedometer, and walking for weight loss, a highlight of 2010!
I love this time of year for pedometer walking for weight loss. If you are on one of these programs this is a lucky time of year. Just take the focus from food and put it where it needs to be -doing the Christmas activities of your choice by moving your feet!
You can really enjoy the advantages of using a pedometer to count pedometer steps, now. If going for a regular walk is too difficult there is no reason not to walk the malls and do lots of movement around the home and on the social whirl that Christmas can be.
The beauty of counting pedometer steps is that most physical activity counts on that little gadget and it is so easy to add steps into your normal day as long as you have that mind set.
Even though weight loss may be too much to expect during the festive season (although still entirely possible!) weight maintenance is a great goal to set. This requires keeping your pedometer steps as high as you can doing what you would be normally doing, and moderating your eating. In other words find any excuse within the list of activities you would like to do, or have to do, which can add to the total pedometer steps- make a game of it!
Make the time to dance (a lot) at that party, prepare and clean up after a Christmas lunch, help buy all the presents and walk that mall! Hand deliver Christmas cards where possible. Put up Christmas decorations. It’s crazy how easy this is right now. Do a house clean for Christmas. Offer to do some of the family chores. Go Christmas carrolling. Part of this process is to do pedometer walking but also a part is to distract you form eating!
Deck the halls at the local hall or church. Volunteer to help at Christmas functions. Hand make Christmas or New Year cards.
Put a little effort this Christmas/New Year into making it a win/win for fun and pedometer walking.
Just as counting pedometer steps is an effective way to achieve walking for weight loss daily steps targets, having a purpose for walking can create another motivator for achieving your goals.
Weight loss or good health and a long life are wonderful goals however it is a good practice to have additional reasons for counting pedometer steps which makes it an easy way for you to exercise effectively, and consequently lose weight. Your motivation is high when you have a goal. Two or three goals are even better!
If you have a life threatening or distressing reason for walking for weight loss, this can be enough, but build in safe guards with other motivating goals of a less serious nature, by mentally rewarding yourself. It is better is to have a goal which motivates you daily to use your pedometer. This can be a fun or personal interest goal.
Examples are:
Join a sport or interest which has a training program- football, dance, tennis etc. Every competitive activity benefits from Practice. Do the training sessions or something else every day.
Make an agreement with a group or friend to achieve a goal which includes walking- two English friends agreed to walk every street in Midland.
Take your dog for a run during its regular walk unless you are tramping for many miles. Daily walks of small or older dogs can be strolls so make sure you pick an activity which genuinely counts as exercise. Volunteer to walk dogs for elderly neighbours.
Cut the grass, garden and walk the perimeter of your property- check on what needs doing and do it. Weeding, fencing, watering, digging.
Make a project of keeping the street clean of rubbish.
Make a goal of greeting fellow walkers- today talk to 1 other person. tomorrow go for 2. If you didn’t reach the goal it rolls over until the next day. Once you reach a limit say you only meet 5 other people during the walk, change the goal. See if you can get the other person to say ‘red’ or some other specific word.
If you like the idea of Purposeful Pedometer Steps but at this point have no goal- make that your goal: I want to find a pedometer steps project!
Start Walking, Get Running, and Lose Weightis filled with common sense strategies for managing the food you eat and simple but very effective exercise plans that ease you into shape.
A Proven Walking or Running Plan For All Ages and Experience Levels...
