Exercise with ease

A couple of months ago I was teaching a course on the prevention of chronic degenerative diseases. I spoke about the importance of exercise and ways to incorporate exercise/movement into your daily life. I mentioned that ideally one would move at least 10,000 steps a day and added, rather casually, that most of us do that without even realizing it. Then it occurred to me that not only was that unlikely, but probably untrue. So I decided to do a little test for myself.

I got myself a pedometer and started measuring.

Well, it didn't take long to realize that the days I spent before my computer, rising briefly for meals and occasional tasks around the house, left me far short of the recommended 10,000 steps. The hours of the day would pass quickly as the numbers on my pedometer climbed slowly. I began to find ways to move around the house or walk about outside. On days where I exercised and carried out jobs like laundry and cleaning, I accomplished the feat rather effortlessly but I could see how in our rather sedentary culture it would be quite easy to go weeks on end without nearing the big 10. Wearing the pedometer changed everything for me. Prior to measuring my movement I believed, inaccurately, that I was a moving machine. With the truth box on my waist there was no escaping the reality.

I started walking more. I exercised with greater vigor. I hung the phone up after each use forcing me to rise from the couch just to answer when it rang. I took out the garbage more and actually got my pen instead of pleading with one of the kids to seek it out for me. Not only was I moving more but everyone else could move less. We were a happier household.

And I saw how true it is - when we rely on our assessment of the situation we are usually wrong.

So the moral of the story - only trust reality. For a couple bucks buy yourself a pedometer. Put it on. Watch what happens. Then begin slowly to get the numbers up - take a dance break, park farther away, take the stairs. You'll find that you'll figure out ways to move more if only to prove to your pedometer that you are up for the task!