Improve Health and Fitness – Walk 10,000 Steps

Article by Sharonsky

It’s a fact, America is becoming obese at an alarming rate and the rest of the world is following close behind. We are eating more (and more of the wrong stuff) and exercising much less or obtaining no exercise whatsoever. Our health is in steep decline and doctor and hospital visits are at all time highs. Just a brisk 30-minute walk a time can begin to turn that around.

You name it, we have it, and it’s getting worse. Heart and cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, out of control blood sugar levels, diabetes, obesity, and much more. The U.S. Surgeon Common recommends obtaining at least 20-30 minutes of moderate activity each day and many of us are falling far short of even that.

Studies show the typical person takes about 3000 to 5000 actions a time, and some even much much less. Let’s face it, we just do not get the exercise our ancestors did a hundred or so years ago and we tend to eat more refined foods. For some of us, most of actions we take are from the simple chair in front of the TV towards the fridge so we can fill up on snacks. For others, like me, we sit at a computer all day as part of our jobs.

Many fitness experts recommend we walk 10,000 actions a day to maintain our weight and overall good health. 10,000 steps are approximately 5 miles, give or take depending on the length of your stride. You’ll need to purchase and wear a pedometer to count how many steps you get every day. Follow the directions that usually come with the pedometer. Do this for a week or two and you’ll get a good average step count. Your goal is to reach 10,000 or much more steps every day. There is nothing magical about 10,000, but it will put you within the correct ballpark.

As a general rule, a individual will burn about 100 calories walking a mile, depending on age, size, and fitness level. The heavier you are, the much more calories you will burn.

Become creative on ways to improve your steps. At work, go for walks at lunchtime. Go for walks with your spouse or children. Walk the dog. Walk towards the store rather than driving, or park at the far end of the parking lot. Use the stairs rather than the elevator. For me, I get brisk 2-mile walks around the neighborhood twice a day everyday (aerobic walking). Just do whatever works greatest for you, but do it! You’ll require great walking shoes and socks to prevent injury when walking for exercise (like aerobic walking).

Go to your favorite search engine and kind in “10,000 steps” to learn more about this life saving, life changing program. The information is abundant.

About the Author

Sharonsky develops systems and websites to help you succeed in your online fitness and diet programs. Find out more about how to Loose Weight online with

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