The Wonders of Walking

I remember that there was a time when McDonald's gave out pedometers as part of a meal to encourage people to take 10,000 steps per day. It was quite a good move from them to try to egg people to move and exercise, and perhaps try to shed a few pounds from eating all those french fries and shakes they offer.

Famous creators of electronic gadgets are trying to be involved in coming up with devices that could monitor walking. Apple and Nike have launched the Nike + iPod Sports kit. A censor is placed in the shoes and a wireless communication to an iPod to transmit workout information like time used, distance traveled and calories burned. This shows that a lot of sectors seem to be involved with various ways to push the campaign for the benefits of walking.

Many people are not aware of the benefits that walking can give them. Some may prefer to stay home glued to their TV sets, or stay in front of the computer for hours, or enjoy talking with friends on the phone. But once they are really informed of the effects of a simple walk to their health, then maybe they would consider doing it and actually enjoy the good that it could do to their physical and mental health.

How much should one walk? Wendy Bumgardner, a certified marathon coach and an avid walker, states that the magic number was said to be 10,000 steps as this was used in Japan to promote certain brands of pedometer. Some studies, however, show that lower number of steps done in a day can be correlated to good health and lower death rates.

The Walking Site states that it takes over 2,000 steps to walk one mile and to reach 10,000 steps means to walk about 5 miles. A person who can be labeled as "sedentary" averages only 1,000 to 3,000 steps per day. They recommend an increase of about 500 per week, until they can achieve the 10,000 target.

What is the correct way of doing it? It is advised to be steady and regular. A 30-minute walk for at least 5 times a day is recommended. Correct breathing is needed, and once you feel a strong degree difficulty, then it is a must to slow down a bit. If breathing is too lightly, the pace could be increased.