Walking 10,000 Steps a Day - How to Do It
Reaching and sustaining a goal of walking 10K steps/day can be more difficult than it first seems. This article gives you the "how to" for this goal.
No pun intended, but here are six steps to walking 10K steps/day:
Step 1: Get a good 10K-steps/day program.
Some come in book form. Some are online. Some have audio, video, or both. Whatever you choose, make sure that it is right for you.
Step 2: Read/watch/audition the program.
Some people -- and I once was one of them -- fall prey to the idea that simply buying something educational is sufficient for learning, as if they will learn by osmosis. Ah, if learning were that easy! It is not, and you have to take the time to read that book or online text, watch that DVD, or listen to that CD.
Step 3: Understand your motivations.
You must deeply feel whatever is motivating you. Are you afraid of getting fat like your parents? Use that fear to motivate you AWAY from obesity and toward walking 10K steps/day. Are you looking forward to wearing a slimmer dress or pair of pants? Use that excitement to motivate you TOWARD your slimmer self and away from excuses for not walking 10K steps/day.
Step 4: Take baby steps.
Have you ever seen "Baby Steps" -- the hilarious movie about a psychiatrist advising his patient to take small steps toward changing his behavior? The point is that an incremental approach can work very well when you want to reach a goal. A good 10K-steps/day program will outline a "baby steps" approach to reaching your 10K-steps/day goal.
Step 5: Track your progress.
Can you imagine trying to count manually the number of steps that you take in any given day? Tracking your progress toward your 10K-steps/day goal requires that you have a pedometer or step counter, that you wear it all day, and that you record your total number of steps at the end of each day. Some 10K-steps/day programs include a step counter, but you can also buy one individually from a sporting-goods store.
Step 6: Reward your successes.
"We get what we reward" is one of my favorite expressions. If you reward yourself for each success, no matter how small, your unconscious mind will find ways to ensure that you repeat that rewarded behavior. If you walked more steps today than yesterday, reward yourself with a (healthy) treat - such as a good stretch or a few minutes longer in a hot tub.
About the Author
Kirk Mahoney, Ph.D., loves to walk and run, and his website provides practical research for runners and walkers. By going to http://www.SpryFeet.com/Reports/, you can get FREE his special report about eleven programs to help you reach and sustain walking a very beneficial 10,000 steps per day.
Step 1: Get a good 10K-steps/day program.
Some come in book form. Some are online. Some have audio, video, or both. Whatever you choose, make sure that it is right for you.
Step 2: Read/watch/audition the program.
Some people -- and I once was one of them -- fall prey to the idea that simply buying something educational is sufficient for learning, as if they will learn by osmosis. Ah, if learning were that easy! It is not, and you have to take the time to read that book or online text, watch that DVD, or listen to that CD.
Step 3: Understand your motivations.
You must deeply feel whatever is motivating you. Are you afraid of getting fat like your parents? Use that fear to motivate you AWAY from obesity and toward walking 10K steps/day. Are you looking forward to wearing a slimmer dress or pair of pants? Use that excitement to motivate you TOWARD your slimmer self and away from excuses for not walking 10K steps/day.
Step 4: Take baby steps.
Have you ever seen "Baby Steps" -- the hilarious movie about a psychiatrist advising his patient to take small steps toward changing his behavior? The point is that an incremental approach can work very well when you want to reach a goal. A good 10K-steps/day program will outline a "baby steps" approach to reaching your 10K-steps/day goal.
Step 5: Track your progress.
Can you imagine trying to count manually the number of steps that you take in any given day? Tracking your progress toward your 10K-steps/day goal requires that you have a pedometer or step counter, that you wear it all day, and that you record your total number of steps at the end of each day. Some 10K-steps/day programs include a step counter, but you can also buy one individually from a sporting-goods store.
Step 6: Reward your successes.
"We get what we reward" is one of my favorite expressions. If you reward yourself for each success, no matter how small, your unconscious mind will find ways to ensure that you repeat that rewarded behavior. If you walked more steps today than yesterday, reward yourself with a (healthy) treat - such as a good stretch or a few minutes longer in a hot tub.
About the Author
Kirk Mahoney, Ph.D., loves to walk and run, and his website provides practical research for runners and walkers. By going to http://www.SpryFeet.com/Reports/, you can get FREE his special report about eleven programs to help you reach and sustain walking a very beneficial 10,000 steps per day.
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