Who has a pedometer? I used to have a little one that clipped onto my waistband. Actually, I've had three and they've all fallen off and lost themselves. I haven't used one since I began Walk The Year, but I had read some interesting facts about number of steps, so I went and bought myself one. That is in the form of a wristwatch--no more loss!
Want to know these crazy facts I read that made me think about steps?
What is the recommendation that we all step? That's right! 10,000 steps a day, or the equivalent of 5 miles.
When I'd make those 10,000 steps each day, I was terribly proud of myself. Yay for me!
Would you like to know some other stuff?
10,000 steps a day is what is recommended for pregnant women to stay healthy and functional throughout their pregnancy.
Pregnant women.
How much does the average French citizen walk?
20,000 steps. About 10 miles. Read that again and think about it.
Is this why they can eat steak and cream and butter and pommes frites and look like this:
And we eat those things, PLUS all of our low-fat, fat-free, prepackaged atrocities and we look like this:
France has an obesity rate of 11.3%. America has an obesity rate of 32.2%.
Let me clear something up. I do believe that 97% of what happens in weight loss happens in the kitchen. You cannot eat more than you burn, period. You need to eat whole foods that you could scrounge or hunt if you were a cavewoman or caveman. I've never seen a Cheeto bush or a Crystal Light stream.
However, we must begin moving in a natural, human way. I'm not talking 45 minutes on a treadmill, because most humans don't get chased by tigers 45 minutes each day. I'm not talking an hour of Crossfit.
What if you walked those 20,000 steps a day?
What if you tried it for a month and let me know the results?
What have you got to lose? What have you got to gain?
Our ailments are primarily those of affluence. We don't have to move or work as hard as early man, so we don't. But maybe we should take a page from their diary and spend more time moving on our feet, all day long.
I'm just sayin'.
See you tomorrow,
Dani
Good Grief Charlie Brown! In my current state of health I strive for 5,000 steps a day. I have a FitBit that my daughter bought for me and my average day is just over 3,000 - so disgraceful. But I am determined to improve; I use to be able to walk five miles several times a week and really want to be able to do that again. Baby steps for me here a the moment while whatever I injured heals, and thanks extra mucho for the encouragement you give. I'm really enjoying the blog!
ReplyDeleteDon't say "disgraceful", please. You are awesome and you will achieve your goals in good time. I've never made 10,000 steps, but I've never tried. It's a fall goal for me, at least for 1-2 days a week. I'm just trying to illuminate the tremendous difference in our countries' activity levels.
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