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Bold statement. Yes. Movement is great.. and very important to function and heath, but what does 10,000 STEPS even mean?
Really did anybody before Fitbit and iPhone Health even think about 10,000 steps?
FACT: Every 2000 steps is about a mile.. so 10,000 steps is about 5 miles for the day.
5 Miles of total movement sounds great.. but the same person that walks 5 miles.. would they be able to run 5 miles?
What pedometers and step measurement devices negate to tell you is that intensity, heart rate, and speed are all extremely important factors when it comes to covering "ground".. and "stepping"...
The faster you move, the greater your heart rate, and the greater your speed.. the more calories you will burn... and the more calories you will burn post exercise..called EPOC (exercise post oxygen consumption).
You see.. activity is critical.. and I am not dismissing the 10,000 steps... but there is a distinct difference between "moving" and "exercising"...
I do not consider walking exercise as it is basically a mechanism of human transportation to get from one place to another.. THATS IT...typically utilizing lower heart rates.. which do not challenge the contractile abilities and needs of the heart and cardiovascular system...
A close doctor friend of mine told me.. "I tell my patients.. you walk to get fresh air.. you exercise to become healthy and lose weight"..
This is a friend who works with patients over 40 primarily.. and validates that walking on flat ground, without elevation, intensity, and speed will not burn enough calories to be considered effective for weight-loss.
Walking for me is an "in-addition to" type method of health.. with the primary involving conditioning, weight training, and other forms of exercise that take the body into a zone of "uncomfortable"... Uncomfortable is where the change starts...
So.. for those who are currently walking for exercise and not losing weight.. use the 10,000 steps as your baseline for daily movement.. and continue your walking..especially post dinner.. but include TRAINING 3x per week to aid in your quest of weight loss, muscle gain, strength, and tone. So important to your long term health.
TIP: Intensity determines your "calories" burned... exercising at higher intensities will allow for maximal caloric burn during and most importantly....post activity! #TrainLikeAPro
