How many steps should we walk per day?

Do you know how many steps you walk per day?

On average our western society clocks up roughly 4,000-7,000 steps on a daily basis. Compared to the rural african woman, for whom an average day means walking 10,594 steps per day - many of it done carrying heavy loads.

If you own a personal fitness tracker or have a fitness app loaded on your smart phone it will probably tell you to walk 10,000 per day. Where does that number come from?

Its not scientific. Pedometers sold in Japan in the 1960s were marketed under the name "manpo-kei," which translates to "10,000 steps meter". But through further studys, experts have found that walking a minimum amount of 10,000 can reduce overall stress levels, regulate glucose levels and reduce blood pressure. Most of all, it helps support the walkers to keep a healthy weight.

Now days, if you live in a New Zealand city you drive or get driven (public transport) nearly everywhere. We drive our kids to school, us to work and to the gym. No one walks, if you see people walking its a rare sight, often followed with the thought, why is he she walking?! The root cause comes from our industrial revolution - once the average worker could afford a car it catapulted him into a different social class, as Walking was known to be for poor people. Unfortunately this luxury has had severe implications to our health. Living a sedentary lifestyle has many health implications both mentally and physically. The trick is to reintroduce small walks back into your daily routine throughout the day.

some examples;

-When talking on the phone stand up and walk around

- Have walking meetings or take a quick 10 minute walk at lunchtime

- When shopping park a little further away

- use stairs instead of lifts

- take a quick 15 minute walk around the block when you get home

You will be surprised how quickly you can get 10,000 steps together, without having had to add an hour on to your gym session. Small quick bursts of movement keep the metabolism fuelling and your mind sharp. Increase your daily steps slowly and have fun with it. I am a fan of Argus, which is a great fitness tracking app. Its basically a pedometer on steroids, that lets you not only count your steps, but also keep a visual food diary and have challenges with friends.

#paleoinfo #fitness