The Constant Walker
Profile: You set out on foot to run errands, exercise the dog, or get to work. All in all, you may walk for a half hour or more and cover a few miles a day.
Payoff: Although you’re not huffing and puffing, you are getting more exercise than most Americans do (only 30 percent get the recommended half hour of exercise a day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). If your daily strolls add up to a half hour most days of the week, you’ll probably add a year or more to your life, according to a recent study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
Next Steps: Buy a basic pedometer and aim for 10,000 steps a day (the average American takes about 5,000). Counting steps rather than minutes will encourage you to walk farther, says Dixie Thompson, Ph.D., director of the Center for Physical Activity and Health at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. In one recent study, Thompson and her colleagues asked women to take a brisk walk for 30 minutes on most days or to accumulate 10,000 steps a day. Women who counted steps rather than minutes took an additional 2,000 steps a day, which adds up to almost a mile. Record your steps for one day, then add 1,000 more each week until you reach 10,000, suggests Thompson. (Look for a high-quality pedometer, about $20, at
www.pedometer.com.)
Push yourself so you’re breathing hard but not gasping or breathless to give your heart and lungs a good workout. Brisk walking burns 460 calories an hour, while walking at a moderate pace burns just 280.
Tips: One way to add more steps is to be less efficient. Instead of piling things on the stairs so you can take everything up or down at once, take each item as you find it. After a trip to the supermarket, bring in fewer bags from the car and make more trips to the kitchen. At work, walk down the hall to see a colleague, rather than calling her on the phone or sending an e-mail. If you’re trying to fit in steps where you can, make sure you carry a light bag and wear shoes with low heels, flexible forefeet, and good arch support.
