Walk to improve your health
By Dr. Mercola , Organic Consumers Association, More from this Affiliate
Wearable devices that monitor physical well-being and fitness are incredibly popular. The number sold is expected to increase from 17.7 million in 2014 to more than 40 million this year.1
Personally,
I use the Jawbone UP24 and have found it very useful for keeping track of my
daily steps and sleep patterns. Most of these devices come set with a default
goal of 10,000 steps a day, which is a number commonly associated with a basic
or moderate level of fitness.
For
instance, Japan’s Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare recommends walking
8,000 to 10,000 steps daily, while the UK National Obesity Forum recommends
7,000 to 10,000 daily steps to stay moderately active.
Recent research showed that wearing a fitness-tracking wristband (the FitBit One) did help overweight postmenopausal women increase their activity levels by nearly 40 minutes (and 789 steps) a week.2 Wearing a pedometer did not have such an effect.
However,
if you’re committed to making your 10,000 steps a day, does that mean you’re on
your way to becoming physically fit?
Walking
10,000 Daily Steps Is a Required Movement
Should
you strive for 10,000 daily steps? Yes! I view this as a basic requirement for
optimal health, like drinking adequate amounts of water each day. Your body is
designed for frequent movement and many researchers are now starting to
reemphasize the importance of walking.
Read
more at ENN Affiliate Organic Consumers Association.