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Morgan Shade

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November 14, 2024

Ten Thousand Steps - Does it matter?

When clients ask how they can be healthier outside of the gym, one of the main answers I always give is to walk.

Yup, simple as that. Walking 10,000+ steps a day has been proven to have insane health benefits - both physically and mentally! Social media has trended the “10,000 step a day challenge” recently, without telling you how it is good for you. Here's what you're missing out on if you don't get at-least 8-10k steps in any given day

  1. Weight Management and Fat Loss: Walking is a low-impact aerobic exercise that burns calories and can help to supports weight loss.
  2. Heart Health: Walking is a great way to improve cardiovascular fitness, strengthen your heart, and reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.
  3. Improved Mental Health: Walking releases endorphins, which boost mood and reduce stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression. Especially walking in nature which has additional benefits to mental health (I have tons of good outdoor hiking recommendations around Pgh if anyone is interested)!
  4. Increased Energy Levels: Regular physical activity, such as walking, can improve energy levels and combat feelings of fatigue.
  5. Joint and Bone Health: Walking is a weight-bearing exercise that helps strengthen bones, improve joint flexibility, and reduce the risk of osteoporosis and arthritis.
  6. Better Digestion and Metabolism: Walking stimulates digestion, and enhances metabolism. I always recommend taking a short walk after every meal, and seeing the benefits for yourself.

For some people walking 10,000 steps happens during their work day, for others it seems nearly impossible to end their day with more than 2,000.

Understanding that everyone’s daily lives look very different there are some tips to help increase steps to an achievable level.

Using a fitness tracker can help you visualize your step goal and stay motivated to achieve it. If you have a sedentary job, taking frequent short walking breaks either around your office or around the block and can add steps to your day without taking big chunks of time.

Make it enjoyable and do something to help relax yourself. I listen to podcasts or audiobooks and set aside that time to relax and reset from my day. Also, setting small goals to ramp up slowly will make the habit more approachable.

Taking the effort to increase even a few hundred per day can improve your health!

- Coach Morgan Shade

PS - If you're struggling weigh weight loss, CLICK HERE to book a FREE Intro with us so we can create a CUSTOM plan build just for you!

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