Ten Thousand Steps
Today I want to talk about 10,000 steps which is a goal to a lot of people have depending on what your baseline step count is. If your baseline is 2,000 steps, then you know, 8,000 or 5,000 might be your goal, but I always try to hit 10,000 steps because I have a desk job so I do sit all day and 10,000 steps helps with that Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis also known as NEAT which burns a lot of calories. When you move throughout the day, that also attributes to burning calories. So how do you hit 10,000 steps? So for me personally, I do have a treadmill so if you have a treadmill, you have a leg up on everybody else. But if you don't, you need to make a concerted effort. So I typically will try to plan 15 to 20 minute walks before work, during lunch, and after work. Just build it throughout the day and if you can't walk outside, there are so many other options. If you go on to YouTube there are lots of free indoor walking videos, I know that doesn't sound super exciting or fun but when you have a goal, you have to look at the obstacles that may prevent you from reaching that goal and you either make it your priority or make it your excuse right? So if it's raining, grab an umbrella okay? If it's pouring sheets and it's like "yeah, I'm not going out there" March in place with your phone, walk around your living room. I'll tell you, if you scroll thru social media while your walking around your house, you will kill 20 minutes in no time. I know, we get sucked into that social media rabbit hole so use it for some good, have it distract you while you keep moving. And I wouldn't recommend being on your phone while your walking around on the street because that could be dangerous. But like I said, just look for ways to make it fun, make it interesting.
Another thing is to have a reward at the end. So if your goal is 20 minutes, three times a day, maybe if you don't do your walk you can't scroll on social media or you can't read your favorite book. So have a reward at the end and reward yourself for hitting those little goals. I know 10,000 steps may seem like a lot, it's not that bad.
Another thing I try to do too is try to make sure I hit 5,000 by noon. That means walking before work or trying to incorporate movement in my workouts. So that's my tip for today. You either make your goals a priority to reach them or you make an excuse not to reach them. There are lots of ways to overcome those excuses, it's where you really want to dedicate your time. Whether it's 10,000 steps, new job, losing weight, running a marathon.. no matter what your goal is, you break it down a little steps, you reward yourself when you hit those little steps. It's all about consistency but you really need to prioritize what's important to you and what you want to do with your day.
