I am aware of Dr. Sears' exercise recommendations as he as written them in "the Anti-Inflammation Zone", to exercise a minimum of 30 minutes per day. However, I was wondering if anyone has an idea on how to convert that into the "10,000" steps promotion? I realize that I don't cover that many steps in a day unless I make a real effort. But, I made the goal yesterday; however, I did not push my speed when I was walking (one can only walk as fast as the kids can keep up with!). So, if I continue with a goal of reaching 10,000 steps per day without actually raising my pulse to a fat-burning level, will I succeed with an equivalent of the "30 minutes" that Sears has outlined?

Hi Jenny, Yeah, I see how it could be a tad challenging to get in the 10,000 steps with little 'uns clinging to your legs <grin> Personally, I'm of the philosophy that even a 5-minute stroll still makes a difference...and count it accordingly. This mindset has helped me to slowly and enjoyably increase my exercise so I get in 30-1 hr/day (mostly just walking). How old are they? Alexy

I "march" when I'm with people who walk more slowly; if I swing my arms more, and lift my knees more when I walk, my heart gets going. You can decide how much to swing, how much to lift your knees, etc - the higher you lift your knee when you take a step, the more exercise you're getting. But I don't know how well that would work with you if you have very little ones! Alexy

[quote:72cdceec63="alexyagain2"]Hi Jenny, Yeah, I see how it could be a tad challenging to get in the 10,000 steps with little 'uns clinging to your legs <grin> Personally, I'm of the philosophy that even a 5-minute stroll still makes a difference...and count it accordingly. This mindset has helped me to slowly and enjoyably increase my exercise so I get in 30-1 hr/day (mostly just walking). How old are they? Alexy[/quote:72cdceec63] My oldest daughter is 9, my middle son is 6 (he is the biggest complainer when it comes to walking), and my youngest is 3 (who sits nicely in the stroller, but will walk if she has to, without much difficulty). I agree, every bit helps. But, I must admit that I have not done very well in the exercise department. I used to wear a pedometer to make sure I got in 10,000 steps, but lately I know I have spent more time at my desk and not getting up and around as much. So, started wearing the pedometer again, and found that I am not even getting 5000 steps. So, I really know I need to push it. So, if I can't schedule a 30 minute walking session, will I reap the same benefit if I walk at least 10,000 steps per day?

I used a pedometer for a while. I found it took 1700 steps to cover one mile in 20 minutes. At that rate it would take two hours to cover 10,000 steps. You could walk before the kids get up and again after the kids go to bed. An hour each time would get you the 10,000 steps. Or you could use a treadmill and walk while the kids are watching tv or whatever.

[quote:eb3af5002f="kaypeeoh"]I used a pedometer for a while. I found it took 1700 steps to cover one mile in 20 minutes. At that rate it would take two hours to cover 10,000 steps. You could walk before the kids get up and again after the kids go to bed. An hour each time would get you the 10,000 steps. Or you could use a treadmill and walk while the kids are watching tv or whatever.[/quote:eb3af5002f] Not that easy! I am home alone with the kids in the evening, so after they go to bed, I can't leave the house. Also, I get up at 5am just to get to work, and I am not considering getting up any earlier! I can try to work in a mile walk at lunchtime, but have been really busy lately at work, so my lunches have been "working" lunches. So, I really want to make my walking fun for the kids, as it is important for them to realize the benefits of walking as well. That is why I enjoy taking them with me. Sometimes they ride their bikes, and I walk to keep up (which is nearly impossible, but it keeps my pace faster). My stride must be much shorter than yours. It takes me 2100-2400 steps to cover a mile, although I can cover it generally in 15-20 min.

Hi Jenny, In general, I know that it's been discovered via testing that if your goal is 30 minutes walk daily (for example), and if you break that up into 3 parts of 10 minutes each, that it has basically the same effect on your system as if you did it 30 minutes at a time. This is generally true of exercise (such as swimming, etc). This is assuming you're not spending too much of your time "warming up" and "cooling down". But since it's just walking, I don't think this is an issue. So breaking it up into smaller parts may be more workable, and still gives you all the benefits you're looking for. Marching while your kids walk with you will give you as much exercise as you want - you'll be out of breath if you lift your knees up as high as possible, and swing your arms (bent at the elbows) as much as possible!!!! Alexy

[quote:208afb311d="alexyagain2"]Hi Jenny, In general, I know that it's been discovered via testing that if your goal is 30 minutes walk daily (for example), and if you break that up into 3 parts of 10 minutes each, that it has basically the same effect on your system as if you did it 30 minutes at a time. This is generally true of exercise (such as swimming, etc). This is assuming you're not spending too much of your time "warming up" and "cooling down". But since it's just walking, I don't think this is an issue. So breaking it up into smaller parts may be more workable, and still gives you all the benefits you're looking for. Marching while your kids walk with you will give you as much exercise as you want - you'll be out of breath if you lift your knees up as high as possible, and swing your arms (bent at the elbows) as much as possible!!!! Alexy[/quote:208afb311d] Alexy, I appreciate the effort you are taking to help me with my walking plan. The fact is, I am looking for advice on how the 10,000 steps program can tie into the Zone recommendation. My concern isn't really about getting in my 1/2 hour of walking. I can certainly break it up into 3 10-min sessions. That is easy. However, the rest of my day is not very active, at all, and I feel that my bigger problem is with gettting the 10,000 steps in while working 8 hours at a desk job. And, I know all the tips about walking to someone elses desk instead of calling; using the steps instead of the elevator; using my lunch break for a walk; parking in the furthest stall (or even a few blocks away and walking the distance). So, if ANYONE has some idea about how the goal of getting 10,000 steps in a day compares with getting in 30 min of aerobic exercise per day, please let me know.

What sort of building do you work in? I ask because you can get a good workout using the stairs. My gym has a step treadmill. It tell me how many calories I've burned. I see that compared with walking on a level treadmill, using the step treadmill burns 3-4 times as many calories per mile. Using that figure, each step on the stairs is the same as 3 or 4 steps outside. If you have knee problems, climbing is generally good exercise but descending can damage the knees. The best middle ground might be climbing the stairs but taking the elevator back down.

I appreciate the information. I work in a 2-story building. But, it is a hospital, and I cannot just go walking around without going into patient areas. I already use the steps instead of the elevator. I am not really looking for a "workout" routine. I am just trying to use the 10,000 steps method as a guideline to get the walking steps in. I don't always have time for an aerobic workout, so I feel that it is important to "go the distance" especially if I cannot get all the steps in aerobically. And, I find that it is very difficult to get all those steps done in a day without a planned walk. I figure that I would walk 4-5 miles using the 10,000 steps guideline. However, most of those steps are not taken during an aerobic walking session. So, how would that convert over?

Maybe there's some comfusion concerning "aerobic". I haven't read that Sears book. The fat burning zone is a myth. The slower you go, the less glycogen you are using. At the lower end of that fat burning zone you are using very little glycogen but you are also not covering much ground. For busy people it's difficult to get much done walking slowly. At the other end of the fat burning zone you are using some glycogen along with fat. Over time you become better trained and end up using more fat than anything else. It's only when you are breathing hard that you are burning more glycogen than fat.

OK, now we are getting somewhere! :D So, if I walk 10,000 steps at a slow pace, I will probably not realize the same benefit as if I spend 1/2 hour of my walking time to walk at a brisk pace--defined as pulse elevated but not out of breath? However, on the positive side, I should still aim for the 10,000 steps, because I do believe that will help my metabolic rate, right? Thanks, your information is VERY helpful! :D

I don't understand the need for slow walking or the need for 10,000 steps. But I agree that a brisk pace is the best of all worlds. Brisk walking is harder work. Slow walking is still good muscle training but not much benefit to the heart. When training with a heart rate monitor, over time one sees the heart rate slowing while maintaining the same brisk pace. That means the metabolism is becoming more efficient. The body is getting better at burning fat and sparing glycogen.

I don't know if you caught the beginning of this thread, but my original question was this: [color=green:673fc1ba94]I am aware of Dr. Sears' exercise recommendations as he as written them in "the Anti-Inflammation Zone", to exercise a minimum of 30 minutes per day. However, I was wondering if anyone has an idea on how to convert that into the "10,000" steps promotion? I realize that I don't cover that many steps in a day unless I make a real effort. But, I made the goal yesterday; however, I did not push my speed when I was walking (one can only walk as fast as the kids can keep up with!). So, if I continue with a goal of reaching 10,000 steps per day without actually raising my pulse to a fat-burning level, will I succeed with an equivalent of the "30 minutes" that Sears has outlined? [/color:673fc1ba94] I find it difficult to schedule 30 minutes of exercise, so I like to walk. Walking before I go to work does not work out for me because I get up too early and don't want to get up any earlier than I have to. I can walk at lunchtime, but I only have 30 min, so I need to eat as well. Then, after work, I have to pick up the kids and we go for walks, but they generally do not walk as fast, so it is difficult to get a good pace going. So, as an alternative to getting in a 30 minute workout, I was wondering if setting a goal of getting 10,000 steps in per day would be an equivalent.

Jenny, I was doing lots of walking on my treadmill that was parked in my hobby room, it worked on via my power only, it has a belt with no motor just tensions to set. I set it on the steapest incline I could and whow! what a work out. It is better than the eliptical trainer at the gym so I do that at home and work out with weights at the gym only. I can read a book while my legs are busy pushing up hill as fast as I can go. A half hour of that while you cook dinner is great for the body and brain. No driving anywhere. I got it second hand from a store that sold old sporting goods and it was next to nothing to buy. Last year I prepared myself for our trip up and down in the desserts and mountains in Utah this way. It worked great. I was able to do 11 miles climbing up and down in the heat and sun while coping with my healthy respect for heights. Every day we did incredible hikes and I could not have done it without that method of training. Joanne

Treadmills can be found cheaply. Often people get the urge to sweat off some weight and buy one thinking they'll use it while watching tv or whatever. Shortly they get bored and it becomes nothing more than an annoyance. I see ads in the paper often: For sale, used treadmill, seldom used.

That is the way it is with me! I may be initially interested, but soon the piece of equipment is just in the way and is removed. I have so much going on when I watch TV, I don't sit and watch... I am folding laundry, packing lunches, multitasking chores at home. So, I really enjoy getting out and walking. It truly takes me away from what is going on at home--or at work.

Hi Jenny, Apparently you feel that walking is best for you. So what can you do to ensure you get your walk in on a daily basis? What would work for you? Alexy

[quote:ec25eb44fc="alexyagain2"]Hi Jenny, Apparently you feel that walking is best for you. So what can you do to ensure you get your walk in on a daily basis? What would work for you? Alexy[/quote:ec25eb44fc] The question was not HOW to get the walk in on a daily basis. I already worked on that in the past. I wanted to know whether walking to meet the 10,000 steps goal would be considered an equivalent to Dr. Sear's recommendation on getting a 1/2 hour of exercise in.

Hi Jenny, Nobody seems to really know re: whether 10,000 steps = 1/2 hr exercise as recommended by barry sears! Although 10,000 steps seem to be an awful lot of steps to try to get in during a day, but, that's me! We don't seem able to come up with any solutions to your exercise issue that fits into your lifestyle, either! I'll try one last suggestion: If you have access to a place during the day while you're working where you could get away with this, you could do some kind of modified exercise there during breaks - i.e., 10 minutes of jogging in place, or whatever works. If you have two 15-minute breaks, you could go and exercise for 10 minutes, thus giving you 2/3 of what you need on a daily basis to meet the 30 minutes requirement. Alexy

[quote:8adc8c4176="alexyagain2"]Hi Jenny, Nobody seems to really know re: whether 10,000 steps = 1/2 hr exercise as recommended by barry sears! Although 10,000 steps seem to be an awful lot of steps to try to get in during a day, but, that's me! We don't seem able to come up with any solutions to your exercise issue that fits into your lifestyle, either! I'll try one last suggestion: If you have access to a place during the day while you're working where you could get away with this, you could do some kind of modified exercise there during breaks - i.e., 10 minutes of jogging in place, or whatever works. If you have two 15-minute breaks, you could go and exercise for 10 minutes, thus giving you 2/3 of what you need on a daily basis to meet the 30 minutes requirement. Alexy[/quote:8adc8c4176] Quite honestly, 10.000 steps is not hard to get in at all! In fact, I have 2700 in already. I wasn't looking for a SOLUTION to my exercise issue. I do appreciate all those who have been helping to find alternate solutions, but I truly have considered all of these things in the past! I already take short walks on my breaks, park in the furthest stall in the parking lot, use the stairs instead of the elevator, walk to a co-workers office rather than call, etc. So, the reason why I started this thread was to find out how setting a goal of getting in 10,000 steps per day measures up to someone who schedules 30 min of exercise per day. I wanted to generate discussion on THIS topic. :)

If I am correct the 10,000 steps is sort of a minimum requirement of activity one should get in a day to remain some what in good physical condition. Dr. Sears recommends more intensive physical activity of 30min (brisk walk), and it is also generally recommended to exercise minimum 30min 3-4 times/week in such a way that your pulse raises and that you get some sweat going on. So I would think the big difference in getting the 10,000 steps throughout the day or actually having a 30-minute more intensive exercise, is in [b:08814ab06c]HOW[/b:08814ab06c] you get your 10,000 steps. When you just walk around at a pleasure pace that does not push your heart to work harder than while sitting, in my opinion this would not meet Dr. Sears' nor generally accepted activity requirements. Regarding your exercising problem with the kids, in case your living arrangements allow how would you feel about taking walks in the forest or playing outdoor games with them? Little races, football, other games... Lot of options that for sure will be fun and make you all active! I obviously dont have kids yet but I have done lots of babysitting and participated kids' camps as an instructor several times and by playing games etc. one can get really active. All the best! Leena

Dear Jenny, I have to hand it to you, you certainly are focused in order to get all those steps in and keep track of it. My distracted nature has me running in all kinds of directions, none of which is clearly defined but I usually am enjoying every rabbit trail. I have turned to prayer and reading the Bible in order to keep better track of me and my time use. Believe it or not with this as my main focus in the morning to start with, the rest of the day spreads itself out in such a tidy way. It helps me to sleep at night, get up early, pray, read the Bible (trying to read at least five pages a day till done), then get my shoes on and do my uphill treadmill for half an hour (I'll get better) while I read something else for entertainment, then grab a more substantial breakfast. It is still early when I finish and I can get to work or do at home chores if not going in that day to my job. Before that routine I felt like I was just doing things for my body but my soul was so thirsty now I feel like I have had a wonderful sort of water given to me. Happy trails to you Jenny, Joanne

[quote:5f1a36fbf3="leena81"]If I am correct the 10,000 steps is sort of a minimum requirement of activity one should get in a day to remain some what in good physical condition. Dr. Sears recommends more intensive physical activity of 30min (brisk walk), and it is also generally recommended to exercise minimum 30min 3-4 times/week in such a way that your pulse raises and that you get some sweat going on. So I would think the big difference in getting the 10,000 steps throughout the day or actually having a 30-minute more intensive exercise, is in [b:5f1a36fbf3]HOW[/b:5f1a36fbf3] you get your 10,000 steps. When you just walk around at a pleasure pace that does not push your heart to work harder than while sitting, in my opinion this would not meet Dr. Sears' nor generally accepted activity requirements. Regarding your exercising problem with the kids, in case your living arrangements allow how would you feel about taking walks in the forest or playing outdoor games with them? Little races, football, other games... Lot of options that for sure will be fun and make you all active! I obviously dont have kids yet but I have done lots of babysitting and participated kids' camps as an instructor several times and by playing games etc. one can get really active. All the best! Leena[/quote:5f1a36fbf3] It has been some time since I first posted the question. During the summer, we (as a family) have done lots of activities together. just what you were talking about, Leena. We take the time to take walks in places that present themselves to us. We live in a nice country area that lends itself to a nice walk (albeit on the road). And, we have a large back yard and use it a lot for running around, soccer, games, etc. And, during the season, I have renewed my love for swimming, so I made the time to get up EARLY and go to the pool for some lap swimming. Now that the summer is over and the outdoor pool is closed, I can go to the indoor pool 3 times per week. The hitch is that it is SO EARLY! I have to be there at 6 in order to get done and ready for work by 7. So, I get up at 5 (no hitting the snooze) and leave the house by 5:30 with my bags of stuff. Really have to be organized with everything ready to go the night before, because there is no time in the morning to fool around. And, this will only get worse starting next week, because the swim team will start practice and will take up most of the lanes, forcing me to get there 15 minutes earlier so that I can get a lane. I was swimming as my sole exercise during the month of August, but didn't really budge on the weight or measurements. But, since the schedule has gone to 3 times per week, I am alternating the swimming with a workout in the gym, that way I can start to get some strength training in. And, I have also created a "rule" for myself, and that is to take a walk at lunchtime!!! I only missed one time this week (I have a 30 min lunch slot, so this is not a LONG walk, but just something to get the steps in). I used to be a summer camp leader in my younger days!

[quote:ed98f4dbc6="felix"]Dear Jenny, I have to hand it to you, you certainly are focused in order to get all those steps in and keep track of it. My distracted nature has me running in all kinds of directions, none of which is clearly defined but I usually am enjoying every rabbit trail. I have turned to prayer and reading the Bible in order to keep better track of me and my time use. Believe it or not with this as my main focus in the morning to start with, the rest of the day spreads itself out in such a tidy way. It helps me to sleep at night, get up early, pray, read the Bible (trying to read at least five pages a day till done), then get my shoes on and do my uphill treadmill for half an hour (I'll get better) while I read something else for entertainment, then grab a more substantial breakfast. It is still early when I finish and I can get to work or do at home chores if not going in that day to my job. Before that routine I felt like I was just doing things for my body but my soul was so thirsty now I feel like I have had a wonderful sort of water given to me. Happy trails to you Jenny, Joanne[/quote:ed98f4dbc6] Actually, I have a "distracted nature" as well! I do lots of things to keep my life organized, and it is an effort. Some people are born organizers, and others have to work very hard to keep things organized. I agree, prayer is an exellent way to put your day into perspective. If one is not a religious person, meditation can also work nicely.