|
The weight of carrying
you towards achieving 10 000 steps per day rests on your hips
in more ways than one.
A pedometer is a little device that can be clipped to your
belt and counts your steps based on hip mechanics. You can
find them in sporting good stores or conduct an online search
and pull up a variety of models. The average price is around
$25 dollars plus applicable taxes. A worthwhile endeavour
not worth walking away from. What follows are some observations
from the different walks of life.
Matthew was keen on taking part in MPOWERMENT’S impromptu
study of the effects of the pedometer and here is in interpretation
of some of his observations:
After a one week session with the pedometer clipped to his
hip the realization dawned on Matthew that if it wasn’t
for his scheduled walks , he was falling extremely short of
the ten thousand steps a day goal. Ten thousand clicks would
seem a much easier feat for Matthew seeing that most of his
day is spent at a desk on a computer. The average non-walking
daily step total was 4000 steps.
A friend who wishes to remain nameless agreed to give the
pedometer a test run at work for a couple of shifts. The findings
were incredible. In an hour, an average of 1500 steps was
easily achieved, whether it was slow or busy. During a split
shift (working lunch and dinner) 10 000 steps was easily attained.
Jacob Stewart, a general contractor that performs landscaping
jobs from lawn maintenance to interlock driveways and garden
design took part in the pedometer observations under the auspices
that it would benefit his NATURE BOY CONTEST training that
he is organizing with a number of fellow landscapers.
Phenomenal numbers were witnessed, upwards of 3000 steps per
hour in some cases and this is a job in which regular days
are 12 hours long during the busy season.
The beauty of the pedometer is this, and a few individuals
who have used them share this finding; having the pedometer
on your hip makes you approach your day differently. One begins
to notice habits and areas where increasing the amount of
walking may be implemented.
The pedometer is by no means exact. Its great for guidance
and its impact is felt immediately when it comes to affecting
change in daily living habits.
The question begging to be answered is this, why bother walking
more anyways?
It doesn’t burn the greatest amount of calories and its
intensity is low however in our day in age the subtle appreciation
of the outdoors shifts one’s mentality to a positive
state of relaxation. The shift in focus, even if it revolves
around observing the world around us is great enough to impart
us with an energized state of thinking. The pressures and
effort involved with so many other activities isn’t present
with the graceful flow of walking. A park, a mall, a boardwalk
by the water, a trail leave much to be enjoyed.
STAIRMASTER- getting more indoor if you’re unable to
go outdoors
Walk away from the chains attached to your desk by taking
stairs where possible. In an article in Shape (Sept. 2002)
a claim was made that by walking four flights of stairs, four
times a day over the 5 day work week burns approximately 200
calories. That’s equivalent to one hour of brisk walking
or 30 minutes of medium intensity cycling.
CREATE A WORK WALKING CLUB- Penny Loafers
All it takes is another person and the more the merrier. Establish
courses to walk to add varied routines and create fringe benefits
like charitable themes to add extra motivation to the walk.
For example, 1 cent per step walked goes towards something
of value. That’s a hundred dollars per 10 thousand steps.If
you had a penny for each step you took, the taxman would be
fast on your heels!
Take a seat at the and walk us through your experiences/comments about
pedometers.
|
