I got my new Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phone. I love it!  It’s a great productivity companion during my busy days going all over the state of Indiana. I can organize my calendars, keep up with email communication, and even check on progress of requests from my clients.  What does a phone have to do with walking?  A lot more than you think!

As I was discovering things that my new phone could do, I noticed that it had a pedometer.  I opened the app and really didn’t do too much with it.  Then I checked in on it again later to find how much I actually walk.  I wasn’t hitting the pre-set goal of 10,000 steps, though.  So I decided to check in on why 10,000 steps is a good goal.

It Is Easy

Walking is EasyWell, it is for those of us who can walk normally.  I understand that this doesn’t apply fully to people like my wife (who sometimes has trouble walking from room to room) or someone with a leg injury.  However, for the most of us, walking is something we have done since toddlerhood.  You can choose your own pace, but the faster and longer the session, the more calories you can burn.

You Don’t Need Any Equipment

You can walk with whatever you have.  You don’t need expensive equipment in order to walk.  A lot of us excuse ourselves form working out because we don’t want to use the equipment.  Sure, you can use a treadmill to walk on cold or rainy days, but you can also go to a public area with a large area (some use the mall or church multi-purpose room) to walk till your heart is content.

Things That Can Help Make and Track Goals

Walking for SeniorsYou can spend time guessing how many steps you are taking, or you can have tools that help. Of course, there is the traditional pedometer for those getting started. One common method, if you have the room, is to get a treadmill or elliptical trainer. You may have heard about the Fitbit Ranging from $47 to a couple hundred.  If you are in the market for a new phone, a lot of the new Samsung – Galaxy Phones (like mine!) have this sort of tracking built in.  The advantage of the smarter devices (Fitbit, Smartphones) is that it tracks going up and down stairs as well.   The following is an example of the information I am able to learn from my Galaxy phone.

First, remember that in order for a person with an average stride to reach ten thousand steps, he or she would have to walk about five miles.  Five miles doesn’t seem like a whole lot when  you first look at it, but when I realized how little I walk on a busy “running around” day, I was shocked as to how far short I fall on average.  For myself and anyone that is interested, I researched and found benefits of walking this amount.

One Thursday, without even noticing, I walked 5576 steps.  That was calculated to be 2.75 miles and 379 calories burned.   379 calories is just enough to burn off that healthy McMuffin I had that morning.  Another Thursday, I walked just 542  (6118) steps more, traveled 3.38 miles and burned 522 Calories!  Now we’re talkin’!  Just imagine if I walked to full 10,000 steps.  Well, one Saturday, I did and was amazed!  I walked 10680 steps, 5.33 miles and burned 744 calories.  SEVEN HUNDRED FORTY-FOUR!.

Burning Calories Helps You Lose or Maintain Weight

Lose Weight by WalkingOkay, that may not seem like a lot for some, but it can be more than you think.  Calories are the building blocks for weight gain.  We all have a daily caloric need, and, depending on our cravings, habits, or whatever, can exceed or fall short of that goal.  But let’s say that for the sake of argument that your daily caloric need is 2000 calories.  There are recommendations from many sites that say that you should subtract between five hundred and one thousand calories from that number (whatever yours is) in order to lose a couple of pounds per week.  744 Calories is well in that range.  If I did that consistently, I would be able to lose one or two pounds each week (of course, that’s if I keep my intake of calories down to my need).

Final Thoughts

Group Walking MotivationI know that a lot of us are busy people, but we can always find time to do a little extra walking. We can all stop waiting 5 minutes for the person at the store to pull out of a parking space when we can park a few cars back with no waiting. We can walk down to the store instead of driving.  We can simply take the stairs instead of the elevator.  Every little bit helps.  I’m amazed when I see people going to the gym to work out and getting upset about having to park around the block. It’s a good thing!  Just think of it as adding a little kick to your workout! If it helps you stay motivated, WALK WITH A FRIEND OR TWO! Well, I’d like to stay here and type more, but I think I need to take a walk (my phone just told me I’ve been inactive for an hour).

Please feel free to leave your comments below.

Here are a couple of great deals that I found in my research to start with.

https://simpleseniorhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/girl-walking-in-the-countryside-1155257-m.jpghttps://simpleseniorhealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/girl-walking-in-the-countryside-1155257-m-150x150.jpgRaphaelHealthy PracticesI got my new Samsung Galaxy Note 4 phone. I love it!  It's a great productivity companion during my busy days going all over the state of Indiana. I can organize my calendars, keep up with email communication, and even check on progress of requests from my clients.  What...Making Senior Health Simple