Magic Pill
What if there was a magic pill that would help you maintain a healthy weight, decrease your chances of Alzheimer’s disease, Type II Diabetes, and improve mental cognition?
That single magic pill may not exist in a pill form, but making small changes to your increase activity level throughout the day can give you the same results as a magic pill. Increasing daily activity doesn’t mean you have to “feel the burn”, although the most you put into your workout, the bigger your rewards will be. Simply taking a walk on a sunny day can improve your mood, mental clarity, and give your Vitamin D levels a boost.
With your Fitbit, you can set goals for how many steps you take in a day. Here are some benefits for meeting the goal of 10,000 steps/day.
A small study showed participants who increased their steps to average more than 9,500 a day for 32 weeks lost 2.27 kilos, 1.9% body fat, and 1.9 centimeters from their hips. They also increased their HDL cholesterol by 3mg/dL and lowered their BMI by nearly 2 points. (On average, participants increased their steps by 4,000 a day).1
People who walk between 5,000 and 10,000 steps a day are 40% less likely to develop metabolic syndrome, a condition that can predispose you to diabetes and heart problems. If your step count is 10,000 or more per day, you are 72 % less likely to develop this condition.2
The Global Corporate Challenge (GCC) looked at 60,000 workers in 55 countries who aimed to walk 10,000 steps every day for eight months. At the end of the challenge, 67% of participants reported an increase in fitness and energy levels and participants lost an average of 4.5 kilos each – just from walking. After four months of taking part in the study, the number of GCC participants with high blood pressure was reduced by 34%, while waist size was reduced by an average of two inches. Participants who stuck to walking 10,000 steps, which equals almost five miles, a day for one year were able to maintain blood pressure, keep the weight off and decrease their BMI. From Foxnews.com.
Sources: This research is cited in the November, 2010 issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. Author of this research study is Peter Katzmarzyk, Ph.D., of the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, LA. Schneider, P.L., Bassett, D.R., Thompson, D.L., Pronk, N.P., & Bielak, K.M. (2006). Effects of a 10,000 Steps per Day Goal in Overweight Adults. Am J Health Promot Nov-Dec;21(2):85-9.
