With all of the conveniences that modern technology brings, it’s no surprise that many of us could use a little more exercise throughout the day. A study performed in 2003, analyzed 1,136 Americans hooked up to pedometers for two days to measure an average person’s level of activity today. The findings were posted in the October issue of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, where they found that Americans on average took only 5,117 steps per day. Sounds like a lot, right? When compared with the other countries globally, countries such as Japan, Switzerland, and Australia, literally walked circles around Americans with a whopping 9,700 steps.
To put this in perspective, according to one professor of kinesiology a person is considered sedentary if they take less than 5,000 steps a day. Surely, walking from the recliner to the refrigerator to get a second serving of dessert helped Americans squeak by to be considered “average”. Not all Americans in the study were bad examples - Amish men and women took between 14,000 and 18,000 steps or walked roughly 7 to 9 miles!
Wonder how you measure up? There are many pedometers on the market, so why not try one out? The new iPod nano even comes with one built-in. If you are not getting the recommended 10,000 steps for optimum health, you might want to start thinking of ways to integrate more physical activity into your day. Parking further from the grocery store, going for a walk at lunch time, taking the stairs or even a little retail therapy are all great ways to increase your daily activity help you work towards a more healthier you!
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