Saturday, May 26, 2018

Is 10,000 really the magic number?


Do You Really Need 10K A Day?

Why is 10,000 the magic number when it comes to tracking steps? A lot of fitness trackers have the ability to set step goals based on a user’s average over a period of time, but most people still believe in logging 10K a day. Let’s talk about how that number came to be and if you should be following the “10K a day” rule.

Origin Of 10K A Day

According to UC Davis Integrative Medicine, the big, round number of 10,000 steps was taken as the golden rule of the day way back in 1960s Japan when pedometers caught on with walking enthusiasts there. These Japanese pedometers were called manpo-kei, which translates to “10,000 steps meter” in English.
However, there is definitely confusion when it comes to how this number was established. We reached out to SteadyMD running doctor Josh Emdur, who said, “My impression is that the 10K mark was invented since it is just easy to remember.”
Whatever the case may be, the question remains: Should we be trying to reach 10,000 steps each day?

The Evidence

After pedometers and step counters infiltrated the U.S., the 10K a day rule stood based on several studies touting the health benefits of taking at least that many steps each day. And, although the Center for Disease Control doesn’t specifically regard the 10K a day rule, it does suggest adults get “two hours and thirty minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week and muscle strengthening on two or more days a week, that work all major muscle groups.” Dr. Emdur added that this also aligns withThe American Heart Association, which recommends the same “in the spirit of the 10K a day benchmark.”
“There is no doubt in my mind,” Dr. Emdur told us, “that sitting and inactivity are the new smoking. Numerous studies have linked inactivity with cardiovascular disease, stroke, metabolic syndrome, depression, cancer, pain, and all cause mortality.” Dr. Emdur, who is himself an avid runner (he ran a sub-3-hour time at the 2017 Boston Marathon) and physician, added, “Walking is a great way to relieve stress while exercising the entire body.”
We agree—and sometimes, running is even better.

The Problem

Part of the issue with the 10K a day rule concerns those times when athletes are participating in healthy, aerobic activities that pedometers don’t track, like cycling, swimming or strength training. “I will literally be on my bike trainer for over 30 minutes, and my watch is telling me to ‘move,’” wrote one triathlete on a social media page. “It’s pretty comical.”
Dr. Emdur has seen this with his patients, as well. “Steps do not tell the whole story of daily activity,” he said. “I explain to my patients that it is important to move like a human. Walking, running, climbing, swimming [and] dancing are all good.”
Dr. Emdur advises finding an activity that you enjoy doing and can integrate into your lifestyle, which helps to make it sustainable on a daily basis.

The Point

Even if you’re not hitting the coveted 10K goal, it’s important to look at the big picture and get in as much activity as you can. Most runners have no issue hitting this number on their running days, and sometimes non-running days should be taken much easier, with significantly fewer steps—especially if you’re training for a long-distance race.
“I have my patients track their steps simply to raise awareness of their daily activity level,” Dr. Emdur said. “If someone walks 1,000 steps per day, having them improve from their baseline is a good place to start, since going from inactivity to 10K a day can be very intimidating!”
Take into consideration where you are starting from and build from there. Most importantly, Dr. Emdur reminds us that the number is not the point; instead, it’s best to try to “spend most of our day upright, walking, breathing fresh air and enjoying our beautiful planet,” no matter how many steps you take!

Friday, May 18, 2018

Walking Myths

We had a GREAT first night. I'm so excited to work with all of the newbies and veterans.  It's going to be an amazing summer together!!!

I wanted to start off the summer blogging season with an article about 3 commonly believed walking myths.


3 Common Walking Myths, Busted

When it comes to exercise, walking doesn’t always get the respect it deserves — and it’s time that changed. Before buying into the idea that walking isn’t a worthwhile workout, learn the truth behind these three common walking myths.
There is a great feeling of accomplishment when your fitness tracker buzzes to signal you hit 10,000 steps. But Carol Ewing Garber, PhD, professor of movement sciences at Columbia University, believes it might be an arbitrary target.
Yes, there are studies that show walking 10,000 steps per day is associated with lower blood pressure and improved glucose tolerance but the idea of walking the equivalent of five miles per day could feel overwhelming to new exercisers.
“[Walking 10,000 steps] will result in health benefits,” Garber says. “But it should be noted that … there is benefit even with small amounts of walking and the benefits increase with the more steps you walk each day.”
Garber suggests aiming for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week instead of setting a step count goal.
If you want to count steps, consider this: Walking an additional 2,000 steps per day — even if your current step count is minimal — helps lower body mass index and boost insulin sensitivity, according to research published in the journal BMJ.
Leslie Sansone, fitness expert and creator of Walk at Home Workouts is adamant: “Walking works for weight loss!”
A slow stroll around the block isn’t going to move the needle on the scale (although it does burn more calories than binge watching legal dramas). To lose weight with a walking workout, Sansone suggests high-intensity interval training or HIIT.
Picking up the pace — without breaking into a run — at regular intervals during your walk has a major impact on weight loss.
In one small study, researchers at the University of Virginia found that overweight women who logged three 30-minute, high-intensity walks and two moderately-paced walks per week for 12 weeks lost six times more belly fat than women who went for a slow stroll five days per week. A second study found that varying speed burned up to 20 percent more calories than maintaining the same pace.

Incorporating HIIT into your walking workout is simple, according to Sansone. After a 5-minute warmup walk at a slow pace, walk at a brisk pace for 30 seconds and then a regular pace for 4 minutes. Repeat the interval four times. End with a 5-minute cooldown walk.  
“Walkers have so many choices to get fit and stay fit for life,” Sansone says.
Walking can be a “gateway exercise” that helps new exercisers improve their cardiovascular fitness and stamina to transition to running but not all walkers want to run — and that’s OK.
“Walking is a good exercise for everyone,” Garber says.
study published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology found rates of hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease and diabetes were lower for regular walkers than runners.
While a walk around the block is a good start, maximizing the benefits of a walking workout requires logging sufficient time in your sneakers. Garber suggests focusing on distance, duration or calorie expenditure (all viewable on your fitness tracker) noting that it’s the amount of exercise that counts — for both walkers and runners.
“If you start fitness walking today, you will instantly feel better and know you’re doing something good for your body, mind and soul,” Sansone says.

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