The world obesity rate is slowly increasing every year and the people in this country are slowly decreasing their life expectancy because of sedentary activity. It is affecting children, adolescents, adults and seniors .
What is the one simple, and effective way of decreasing this rate? The answer to this question is walking.
I’m not asking you to purchase a gym membership, diet pills, or to buy the latest athome exercise machine. I simply want people to start walking more.
Pedometers are a great way to track the number of steps you take per day. This is extraordinarily useful because there is an approximate measurement of steps for certain levels of activity. You can purchase a pedometer at your local sports/fitness store.
To be in the sedentary range is 5,000 steps or fewer daily. To be in the active range is from 6,000 to 8,000 steps daily. A high level of activity range is from 9,000 plus steps. These categories make it simple for people to set goals for themselves. All they would have to do is measure their daily steps.
There is a number of things that can help increase step counts. For example, parking your car farther away, taking the stairs instead of the elevator or taking a morning/night walk, etc.
One great way to enhance physical activity is to get a partner to participate in a stepping program. Better yet, make it a competition. People who compete with one another will motivate their competitors to enhance physical activity.
Now start walking!
Matthew Farag
East Brunswick