We are into mid January now, and the zeal of our New Year’s resolutions is starting to wear thin, even if our thighs aren’t. Take heart – the important thing is to keep moving, and moderate amounts are just fine, thank you, according to Steven Blair of the University of South Carolina, first winner of Canada’s Bloomberg Manulife $50,000 prize for the Promotion of Active Health.
The key is consistent, moderate and regular movement. Just thirty minutes of gentle activity a day, such as walking, can literally be the difference between life and death. The magic goal is 10,000 steps a day – mortality rates are cut in half relative to people who attain fewer than 5,000 daily steps. Dr. Blair is a big fan of pedometers, and I couldn’t agree more. There is nothing like frequent feedback to keep us honest and on track, and harnessing technology makes it very easy, as we’ve described in previous blogs, The Magical Satisfaction of Feedback Loops and Beachward. Let’s Get Off Our Buts.
In the big Christmas clean up, I misplaced my pedometer, and immediately set about ordering another one online, thereby insuring I would find it as soon as I pushed “purchase”. (Word to the wise – put the thing in your pocket – don’t clip it to the outside). Well.ca had a replacement to me in a couple of days. For stateside readers, Amazon.com is an excellent source. Later generation iPods have a pedometer feature, too.
Yes healthy eating is important. No one would deny that. But if push comes to shove, let’s get moving and worry about our thighs later. At least we’ll be around to do so.