Health Hacks
How To Count Steps & Exercise for Weight Loss
Alexander Singh
June 6, 2022
Fitness trackers have allowed most of us to make a conscious effort toward achieving our health goals. Every strategy plays an essential role in our weight loss journey while facilitating a healthy exercise regimen, from counting our steps to counting our calories. But it is not merely enough to track the number of steps you take in your routine walks.
What's equally important is to know the targeted number of steps if you wish to meet your personal health goals. The number of steps you take dramatically influences the calories you burn, so it is vital to know the recommended number of steps for you. In this article, we will discuss the targeted count of measures to keep you active and healthy.
Back in 1965, a professor of health sciences in Japan believed that people must walk 10,000 steps daily to avoid obesity, stay active, and remain in their prime health. While the concept initially became famous as part of a pedometer marketing campaign, it became immensely powerful when scientific research backed the belief,
Today, people count steps to ensure they get closer to their weight loss goals daily. It helps them set a reasonable health target. Moreover, by counting steps, they're able to build manageable goals and have the motivation to perform physical activity.
An average individual takes around 3,000 to 4,000 steps in a day. Or you could say each of us roughly walks for 1.5 to 2 miles daily. According to a study, the required number of steps for a healthy adult must be around 4,000 to 18,000 in a day. However, a healthy step-count goal for every individual on average is approximately 10,000 steps in a day.
Here is a breakdown of categories and the required targeted steps count for their daily walk.
It is important to note that the number of steps you must take in a day largely depends on your health and exercise goals. Hence, if your weight loss plan is only about losing a few pounds, you can aim to complete 10,000 steps daily. You must also note that the exact number of necessary steps for individuals depends on their diet, gender, and age.
Yet, a study reveals that a brisk walk of 15,000 steps daily has significantly reduced the risks of metabolic syndrome. However, starting right away with 15,000 steps can be quite challenging and is a lofty goal for most individuals.
Hence, a better idea is to aim for 10,000 steps daily as a start to shed the extra weight, improve mood and stay more active.
Those who wish to lose extra weight need something more rigorous than the routine short walks. For overall health, a walk at a brisk pace daily can be beneficial, but it will not help too significantly if we don’t set a number. To burn more calories, you need to increase the level of physical activity, and that is only possible by setting a minimum number for your daily steps.
You must aim to walk 10,000 steps every day and consistently lose weight. And if you can take more steps than your target, you can see even better results; you can see even better results. However, if the goal seems too overwhelming initially, you could start by extending your daily steps gradually.
Once you get into form, you can set a specific daily step-count target.
If you are too busy to set a fixed exercising regime or achieve the targeted number of 15,000 or at least 10,000 steps daily, there are easier alternatives. Often, the pressures of work and the responsibilities of life leave people with no extra time to work at length on their health goals.
But any form of physical activity daily is vital to protect against the risk of heart disease, burn calories, and keep us fit. In addition to maintaining a healthy diet, if we could only commit to a few minutes of exercise daily, we'd still achieve a lot of our health goals.
Below are some easy ways to get more active and enjoy multiple health benefits.
If you cannot manage to build a routine that leaves enough room for a daily walk with at least 10,000 steps or more, then you could divide your time. Instead of taking one long walk, you could take two medium-length walks.
You could spend your day with an early morning walk before work and dedicate only 10 to 15 minutes of your time. In addition to the refreshing early morning air, you'll also feel more active, enthusiastic, and in better spirits for the rest of the day.
For the second walk, you could opt for a slight stroll after dinner. This will help you burn more calories you may have consumed, allow for better digestion and improve the quality of sleep. All in all, this routine will ensure you have completed your targeted step count and daily exercise for your health plans.
The most popular alternative to exercising or walking is taking the stairs instead of the elevator. If you switch from the elevator to the stairs and practice it every time, you will do wonders for your heart.
The fact is that while the elevator goes up, your heart rate does not, and that's not a good thing for your health. If you take the stairs instead, your heart rate will climb too with each action step you take and will help you burn calories.
If you're a parent, then you can't find a better excuse for exercising than playing sports with your kids or indulging in a fun physical activity. A game of basketball, kickball, or hopscotch with your kids will give you plenty of cardio and the kids some healthy fun. Most importantly, playing with your children allows you to bond with them better. Spending time with kids through physical activities is a win-win situation for everyone.
Not all shortcuts in life are beneficial, especially if they don't add to your health goals. Instead of taking shortcuts, you can try parking your car at the farthest side of the parking lot, walking to the grocery store instead of driving to it, and so on. The longer routes you choose will give you more distance to cover and more steps to take.
What a fine way to meet your step count, isn't it?
One of the best ways to get in your daily steps is by taking phone calls while walking. You can continue your conversation with a friend or colleague while getting your steps in. You don't even have to walk at a brisk pace. Even just pacing around somewhere while talking can help you burn a significant number of calories. You could even make this a habit if you frequently need to take calls or talk on the phone.
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