Crossroads Fitness Blog

There are so many physical activities that can improve our health, but walking offers one of the most beneficial ways to exercise. 

Nearly everyone at every fitness level and every age can walk. This simple exercise is filled with such benefits as improving heart health, enhancing mental well-being and maintaining body weight. Because of the simplicity of walking, exercisers tend to stick with it, making it a life-long fitness choice. 

We’ve all heard that walking 10,000 steps a day is the goal. You might wonder where that figure comes from. Research shows it isn’t a magic number, but a good indicator of how much activity in which a person is engaged in a day. An inactive person takes about 3,000 steps or less per day.  Five miles of walking is approximately 10,000 steps. Unless you have an active job, you probably won’t get that many steps in a day. To reach that goal of 10,000 steps, you would have to exercise for 30 to 60 minutes a day, which is the minimum daily recommendation by health authorities. All in all, it’s a simple way to measure movement.

You can measure steps in a variety of ways.  Many smart phones now offer the capability to measure your activity if you have your phone with you. Pedometers also measure steps and come with a variety of options that not only count steps, but also measure distance covered and calories burned. Fitness bands are the newest in technology to Quick read more or view full article measure your steps. Most of them are wrist bands that sync to a phone app and have many features to help you in your fitness journey. Keep in mind you don’t need to measure your steps to be successful. The most beneficial aspect of being able to measure your steps is that it gives you information. Being able to set a goal and have that goal measureable makes it a valuable tool.

There are many ways to get in your daily steps. Going for a walk, hike or run or attending an exercise class will boost your step count quickly. Park our care away from your destination, take the stairs or take your dog for a walk. Without even knowing it, you’re increasing your step count and reaping the benefits. To increase your heart rate, boost your metabolism and burn more calories, try increasing the intensity of your efforts by walking on an incline or speed up your pace.  

Crossroads Fitness will host a 70,000-step challenge the week of Oct. 12 to 18. Participants will pledge to walk 70,000 steps in seven days, following the recommended 10,000 steps per day. You don’t have to be a health club member to join. Anyone can participate. Everyone receives everything they need to succeed:  a pedometer to measure steps, a 70,000 step challenge t-shirt, fitness pass, walking tips, events and seminars. Each participant who completes the challenge will be entered into a drawing for prizes. The challenge is $10 for Crossroads members and $20 for others.

Are you ready to step in and step up?