How Do I Use My Pedometer?

As part of a spring exercise incentive program at my job they just gave us all a pedometer and encouraged us to start walking 5000 steps. I'm not clear on this: How far is it, how long it will take, and are we supposed to do 5000 steps every single day?  Do I wear the pedometer all the time or just while taking this one walk?  Millie W.

Dear Millie,

Most public health and wellness agencies agree that 10,000 steps per day is the number to aim for. This is about 5 miles per day. It does not necessarily mean a five mile walk (although that is perfectly acceptable) but means you should be moving around all day long as much as possible.

Put the pedometer on as soon as you dress in the morning, and wear it until you go to bed at night. Keep a record of your daily steps for a few weeks, and remember to reset the instrument each morning before you put it back on.

You may find initially that you walk 1000 steps a day if you do not exercise and/or if your workday is sedentary. Others may find they easily get in thousands of steps per day with a daily 2 mile walk, moving around on the job, running after their small children, and walking up and down the aisles of the grocery store. There are dozens of ways to get in steps and the good news is, they all count!

Get an idea what your average number is after a few days of recording, and then decide how much you can ramp it up. Try getting in 50 percent more steps than you have been (such as increasing from 4000 per day to 6000 per day) and see how that goes for a few weeks. If you can do it, shoot for another 2000 per day and keep it up for a few more weeks.

It's fun to see how many more steps you can get in each day just by parking a bit farther away or taking a flight of stairs instead of the elevator. For more fun, consider having contests with others, either at work or online.  And the biggest benefit for most people? Track the weight you lose as you increase your activity just by getting in more steps! As a guideline, you can lose a pound each month from every 2000 steps you add per day. A 2000 step walk is about a mile and should take most people just about 20 minutes or less. This simple strategy can leave you 10 pounds lighter by this time next year, so give it a try!

How Many Calories Do You Burn Running One Mile?

I am curious to know how many calories are burned running a mile?  Laura K.

Dear Laura,

There are a few factors to mention when answering this question.  It's not the same for everyone:

First, the more someone weighs (especially if it's more muscle tissue than fat comprising their weight) the more they burn with any kind of movement compared to someone who is smaller.  For instance, a 200 pound man who runs a mile will burn more calories than a 110 pound woman.  That's why when you're on the gym equipment they have you enter your weight, so the machine can more accurately compute the calories you are burning.

Seemingly, it would also depend on how fast you are running the mile.  It would make sense that someone running a 8 minute mile would burn more than someone jogging a 12 minute mile.  Not so!  Remember that after the 8 minute mile, the faster person stops--the slower person continues to exercise 50% longer.

Realistically I use an average of 100 calories burned per mile, whether a person is running, jogging, or walking.  A very slow person just starting out may take 25 minutes to walk a mile.  They are burning the same 100 calories--it's just taking longer.

If you like to use a pedometer, the average steps per mile is 2000.  This means you can also calculate 100 calories burned per 2000 steps if you don't have the access to measuring the actual length of your walk.

Happy trails :)

Treatment for Metabolic Syndrome

Laurie,

I have suspected for years that I have metabolic syndrome. My doctor is not convinced (he is old school) and thinks I need to eat less and exercise more. I don't think he believes I do eat very little and am very active. I have all the symptoms, and am currently taking medication for hypertension and eating low fat for the cholesterol. However, my large abdomen is not going down. Do you know of any other dietary things or herbs or supplements to try? I have heard exercise helps but there again some say it should be vigorous training while some say long daily walks. Any help appreciated! --Barry M.

Dear Barry,

I certainly sympathize with your situation. Metabolic syndrome is characterized by excessive belly fat, compromised glucose metabolism, elevated triglycerides, and high blood pressure. The treatment is, indeed, eating less and exercising more to lose weight and fat.

There are no herbs or supplements to help this, and the exercise does not have to be vigorous. Many times we believe we aren't eating much and that we are active when we are doing so only at times. We focus on the positive actions we are taking for our health, but tend to ignore the days we are less active because of weather or other obligations, and the times we go out to eat to celebrate or entertain or socialize and have a bit more than we know we should.

My suggestion is to start keeping records of your diet and activity. A food diary will show you how much you truly eat. Especially when we are "watching" our diet, we tend to 'treat' ourselves to more snacks and desserts and high calorie foods because we've been doing so well on our diet! You will notice right away that when you have to write something down you will stop to think about it and realize "Hey! What am I thinking, grabbing this donut!" and you will end up eating less and losing weight. You might even keep a record in the margin of your food diary of foods you 'almost ate' but then stopped yourself, just to see how many calories you are actually saving yourself by recording your intake.

For exercise the simplest way is to wear a pedometer--you can find very inexpensive ones in the sporting section of a Walmart or other department store. Keep track of your daily steps and try to increase by 1000 daily steps each week (which is just 1/2 mile per day) until you can get up to 10,000 steps a day (this equals 5 miles). Walking 5 miles a day can be divided up throughout the day to include taking stairs instead of the elevator, parking a little farther when you are going to a store, and taking 10 minute walks whenever you have a break. A one-mile walk will put 2000 steps on your pedometer and takes most people just about 20 minutes.
Ultimately you will burn about 100 calories for every 2000 additional steps you take, and you can end up losing a few pounds a month just by walking a bit more!
Do let me know how you're doing with this in a few weeks, I'm conifdent it will work surprisingly well for you.

I need an easy exercise

Hello Laurie,

I would like to lose weight. I am of average weight, but could stand to lose 5 pounds. I am very sedentary and hate exercise, but I am willing to do what it takes. I do not look toned and I am having trouble fitting into my old jeans. Can you suggest an exercise routine that is "easy" for those who are out of shape and need to lose weight? I have tried to run slowly on the treadmill, but can only run for about 5 minutes without feeling like I am going to fall apart. I am 38 years old. I am 5 ft 4" and 127 lbs. I am flabby. LOL
Rita N.

Dear Rita,

Well, I certainly can relate to wanting to lose a few pounds to fit into your jeans (see mine at http://www.mycoachlaurie.com/AboutYou.html). People who start running all say it's tough in the beginning, but if you'd like to keep it up, just add a minute a day to your treadmill routine and see how quickly you can work your way up.

I do have a great idea for how you can increase exercise and not sweat it (ha ha).... buy a pedometer! I have one myself and hate to go on the treadmill or to the gym. But playing a game with a pedometer has lead me to incorporate movement into my daily activities and gotten those last few pounds off!

Any pedometer you find works well enough--even $5 ones at Walmart--and most come with a booklet of ideas. There are also lots of websites that direct you on ways to get your steps up. Here is a good one: http://www.thewalkingsite.com/10000steps.html

Start by wearing the pedometer as you go about your usual activites for several days and jotting down the number of steps you've accumulated by the end of the day. Remember to reset the pedometer each morning (I do it in the evening so I don't forget!) You may have 800 steps, or you may have 8000--it depends on how active you are in your job and normal routines.

Then try to add a few hundred a day and continue making new goals for yourself. I now have a minimum of 6000 per day (which used to be my top goal) and try to get 10,000 or more--I've found that I can do this if I take 3 walks per day, and that going grocery shopping gives me as many steps as a 2 mile walk ... especially if I can't locate a particular food and have to run up and down the aisles several times!

Here's some helpful information:

About 2000 steps equals a mile for the average walker.

Each mile burns about 100 calories.

If you add 2000 steps per day to your usual routine you can lose a pound per month.

Well, that would have you to your goal weight in 6 months, as well as having developed a healthy new lifestyle!
good luck :)