Getting The Most Our Of YourPedometer

Question: A friend gave me a pedometer and I discovered that I am usually walkingunder 4,000 steps a day. I work in an office and sit at a desk all day. I wouldlike to use this little gadget to help motivate me to exercise more. What wouldbe an ideal number of steps to aim for?

Answer: A pedometer is an excellent way to track your daily activities. Therecommendation is to achieve a minimum of 10,000 steps a day.  Onaverage, 2,000 steps is about the equivalent of walking 1 mile and burning100 calories. So, achieving 10,000 steps is the equivalent of walking 5 milesand burning approximately 500 calories. This will vary based on someone’sbody weight, stride length and intensity, but it is a simple way of providing aconsistent estimate.  In regard to time, this is the equivalent of 60-90 minutesof total activity throughout the day.  While there is no set standard for stepsand activity levels yet, see the chart below for the general ranges I use.

Activity Level/Steps

Extremely Inactive, 0-3,000

Inactive, 3,000-6,000

Somewhat Active, 6,000-10,000

Regularly Active, 10,000-12,000

Highly Active, 12,000-15,000

In Health

Jeff