How to Use a Pedometer to Start a Walking Program

Walk to improve your health

Believe it or not, spring is on its way.  The warmer temperatures already this week may inspire you to get outside and get some exercise. If walking is your sport of choice, use a pedometer to improve your level of fitness and measure your progress .

How to Buy a Pedometer

Pedometers come in many different price ranges, but an inexpensive model is really all you need to measure your steps per day.  You can find one at your local sporting goods store for less than $20. Most pedometers attach to your belt or waistband.  As you move through your daily activities, it measures the number of steps you take.

Figure Out Your Steps Per Day

The first time you wear your pedometer, don’t be worried about adding extra steps or trying to get the number too high.  Just measure a typical day’s activity to establish your starting point.

Activity Categories

• Less than 5000 steps = sedentary
• 5000-7499  = low active
• 7500-9999 = somewhat active
• More than 10,000 = active
• More than 12,500 = highly active

Set a goal to improve your health by moving up at least one category.  For example, if you took 6000 steps on the first day you wore your pedometer, that means you started in the “low active” category.  Set a goal to walk 7,500 steps or more in order to move into the “somewhat active” category.   Once you reach that goal, see if you can set a new goal and continue to make progress.

Achieve a Moderate Walking Pace

Once you find yourself in the “active” category, start to measure the pace of your walks.  To improve your health, experts generally recommend 30 minutes per day of moderate intensity physical activity.  So how do you know if you are walking at a moderate intensity?

Researchers have found that moderate intensity walking can be achieved at a pace of 100 steps per minute, or 3000 steps in 30 minutes.  But, you don’t need to complete all 30 minutes in one session.  Three sessions of 1000 steps in 10 minutes can also be used to meet the recommended goal .

_Sources:

_{Simon J. Marshall, et al. “Translating Physical Activity Recommendations into a Pedometer-Based Step Goal.” American Journal of Preventative Medicine, May 2009.}

_{Tudor-Locke C, Bassett DR Jr. “How many steps/day are enough? Preliminary pedometer indices for public health.” Sports Medicine , 2004;34(1):1-8..}

_{(Photo credit: phaewilk/Morguefile)}

Avoid Weight Loss Workout Mistakes

Did you start a new workout program in 2014?  If you’re like many Americans, you began the new year with a new commitment to exercise and a eat better diet.  But in order to keep your plan on track, you need to stay healthy.  Try to avoid these workout mistakes to keep your program on track.

3 Common Workout Mistakes to Avoid

1. Doing too much too soon.  We are often enthusiastic when we start a new exercise program.  That excitement can lead to injury if you do too much too soon.  If you are new to exercise, try to do a moderate workout (like walking or swimming) 2-3 times during the week.  Try to move continuously for 20-30 minutes and gradually increase the duration of your sessions.
2. Eating too many calories.  It’s easy to justify that extra dessert or that extra serving of mashed potatoes if you have exercised during the day.  But if your goal is weight loss, remember that you need to end the day with a calorie deficit. Your exercise session probably won’t burn enough calories to account for your extra indulgence.  A 30 minute walk on the treadmill, for example, only burns about 130 calories.  A brownie contains 400 calories.
3. Not asking for help .  Your workout will be more effective if you exercise at the correct intensity and incorporate a few strength and flexibility exercises.  If you don’t know what exercises to do, ask for help! Check out the exercise videos at North Memorial Healthy Weight Loss to learn about different ways to exercise at home.  Or ask your physician for a referral to see an expert at the Institute for Athletic Medicine.

Don’t forget to connect with us at North Memorial Healthy Weight Loss. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Creative Exercise Ideas (video)

Did you make a resolution to get more exercise in 2014?  The American Heart Association recommends that we get 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week to boost our heart health.  That adds up to about 20 – 25 minutes of exercise each day or longer sessions on fewer days of the week.

So what do you do during each session?  No fancy equipment is required.  Use suggestions from North Memorial’s Dr.William L Youmans in the video below or watch exercise videos at North Memorial Healthy Weight Loss to see instructions for specific movements to do in your home.

Looking for other healthy changes you can make to improve your health? Check out the North Memorial Healthy Weight Loss website?  It’s a great source of easy tips for healthy eating, exercise and diet support.  You can also connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.