Walk Your Way to Better Health

Adding about 30 minutes of brisk walking or other moderately intensive exercise most days to your regular daily activities can have significant health benefits. Many people follow the “10,000 Steps a Day” program to manage weight and get in shape.

Thursday, July 21, 2005

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Durham, N.C. -- In 2001, the Surgeon General issued the “10,000 Steps a Day” recommendation, to help Americans manage their weight and get in better shape. For some of us, that goal seemed unrealistic. But according to Dr. Bill Kraus, associate professor of cardiology at Duke University Medical Center, normal daily activities already typically account for several thousand steps. Combine this with a consistent program of moderate exercise like walking or jogging, and 10,000 steps is a very attainable goal. “I think one could calculate that it’s approximately five miles a day, or 30 miles a week, of physical activity. It absolutely adds up, and you’d be surprised in wearing a pedometer how quickly you can achieve 10,000 steps.” Kraus, a member of the Physical Activity Committee of the American Heart Association, says counting steps using a pedometer can actually become an incentive to move more. “I think it can be very motivating and very encouraging for people to do things they wouldn’t normally do, such as getting out of the car and walking to the pharmacy, rather than going though the drive-through.” I’m Cabell Smith for MedMinute.