Start Walking 10K a Day?

Did you know the Surgeon General recommends that we spend 30 minutes each day exercising? But, how many of us actually exercise for 30 minutes a day?

In a Gallup Poll conducted in late 2006, nearly half of all Americans polled reported that they got little to no moderate exercise. Over 75% reported that they got little to no vigorous exercise. While these percentages have fluctuated over the past five years, they seem to be staying right around the same range. However, the percentage of Americans getting no exercise at all is increasing slowly on the moderate scale and decreasing slowly on the vigorous end - according to the 2006 Gallup Poll results. Are the moderate exercisers moving to the vigorous scale or are they dropping off entirely?

Many experts are trying to bring the reality of morbid obesity to the forefront of everyone's agenda, but is it working? The Surgeon General doesn't think so. According to a report published by the Surgeon General (last revised in January of 2007), "many people live sedentary lives; in fact, 40% of adults in the United States do not participate in any leisure-time physical activity."

According to another Gallop Poll, the percentage of Americans trying to seriously lose weight has been steadily increasing since 1951. So, what do the experts suggest?

Walking..walking..walking..and even more walking! In fact, they suggest that we walk 10,000 steps a day. No freaking way! Right? Walking 10K a day is the equivalent to walking approximately five miles a day! But, if you're walking to lose weight, experts recommend increasing that daily amount to 12,000 steps! That's a lot of walking, but it's easy to achieve if you start out slow.

You can start out by investing in an expensive pedometer. A pedometer will measure how much you've walked in both steps and miles (or kilometers if you like). Wear it for an entire day and see how much you've walked. You might surprise yourself.

The first week you attempt to increase the number of steps you walk, you won't want to jump to 10-12K right away. Start out slow. If you do live a sedentary lifestyle, shoot for five minutes in the morning and five minutes at night. If you feel like you can do ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes at night, do that, but don't push yourself. If you push yourself, you will lose interest fast. If you need someone to keep you company, involve a friend, a spouse, or a child. Hey, bring your dog if that will help. You can also bring an MP3 player or a portable radio if you get bored easily.

The second week you will want to increase the amount of time you walk by 20%. Do the same on the following weeks until you reach your goal. Don't be disappointed if it takes you longer to reach your goal. You are taking steps (literally!) to become fit and healthy. Be proud of any progress you make, no matter how long it takes you!