FROM OUR SPONSOR: Walk the Walk
Just a few steps a day until your first 10K
SPONSORED BY
By Andie Rowe, EdM, CWP
UnitedHealthcare Regional Health and Wellness Director
UnitedHealthcare Regional Health and Wellness Director
Most of us walk every day without even thinking about it. But did you know that walking can also be an integral part of your fitness routine? Recent guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American College of Sports Medicine suggest walking 10,000 steps each day. This recommendation is based on the fact that it takes an estimated 2,000 steps to walk a mile and that walking five miles a day can be an integral part of staying healthy. The number of steps in a mile will vary from person to person since it’s determined by stride length. See the box below to figure out how many steps you average per mile.
On most days a fairly active person takes between 4,000 and 6,000 steps. The extra steps required to reach the 10,000 step goal will help you reach the 30 minutes of activity recommended by the Surgeon General.
Remember, it’s important to walk at your own pace. If you’re not used to exercising, you should gradually build up to 10,000 steps. A person who takes an average of 3,000 steps should aim to reach 4,000-5,000 steps first. Once you feel comfortable, continue increasing that number until you reach 10,000.
HOW MANY STEPS ARE IN YOUR MILE?
- Mark a distance of 50 feet.
- Count the number of steps you take while walking this distance.
- Divide 50 by the number of steps you’ve taken. This is your stride length.
- Divide 5,280 by your stride length. This is the average steps you take per mile.
