10,000 Steps Program
In December, 2001, the U. S. Surgeon General, Dr. David Satcher issued “The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity.” In this report, Dr. Satcher joined former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop by highlighting the health risks and costs of overweight and obesity and issued a call to Americans to take action.
Dr. Koop founded Shape Up America! in 1994 because of his concern about the increasing prevalence of obesity in America. The mission of Shape Up America! is to provide you with solid (scientific) information on weight management. Over the years, the Surgeon General has warned Americans about such things as the hazards of cigarette smoking or a high cholesterol level in your blood.
Exercise and Health
The Surgeon General’s recommendation for physical activity is to add about 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity each day ON TOP of your customary daily activities.
Tips to get started on the 10,000 steps program:
* To avoid injury, you need to work up slowly.
* You will need a good pair of sneakers. Replace them every six months or so.
* Start out by wearing the pedometer each day for two weeks and don’t do anything to change your normal routine.
* Set a goal for the number of steps you will take each day for two weeks.
* At the end of that two-week period, review all the steps you took each day and decide if you are ready to add another 500 steps to your goal. Your new step goal is now 3000 steps a day for the next two-week period.
* Continue in that manner, working up as slowly as you wish, until you finally reach the goal of 10,000 steps a day.
* Check with your physician if you experience any pain or discomfort that concerns you. We consider pain a warning signal that something may be wrong.
* If you skip a few days due to illness, work or other obligations, the sooner you get back into the exercise groove, the more likely you will be able to get back into your routine.
* If you continue to skip days, you will discover it is a downward spiral. The more days you skip, the more likely you will abandon your program altogether.
* If you can get back in the groove and exercise two days in a row, you will discover that the third day of exercise will be easier to achieve.
* As another hedge against boredom byfinding a buddy to exercise with or locate a few buddies you can call upon to join you from time to time. But don’t let a flagging commitment on the part of your buddy influence your commitment to your goals. Be prepared to carry on alone.
Dr. Koop founded Shape Up America! in 1994 because of his concern about the increasing prevalence of obesity in America. The mission of Shape Up America! is to provide you with solid (scientific) information on weight management. Over the years, the Surgeon General has warned Americans about such things as the hazards of cigarette smoking or a high cholesterol level in your blood.
Exercise and Health
The Surgeon General’s recommendation for physical activity is to add about 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity each day ON TOP of your customary daily activities.
Tips to get started on the 10,000 steps program:
* To avoid injury, you need to work up slowly.
* You will need a good pair of sneakers. Replace them every six months or so.
* Start out by wearing the pedometer each day for two weeks and don’t do anything to change your normal routine.
* Set a goal for the number of steps you will take each day for two weeks.
* At the end of that two-week period, review all the steps you took each day and decide if you are ready to add another 500 steps to your goal. Your new step goal is now 3000 steps a day for the next two-week period.
* Continue in that manner, working up as slowly as you wish, until you finally reach the goal of 10,000 steps a day.
* Check with your physician if you experience any pain or discomfort that concerns you. We consider pain a warning signal that something may be wrong.
* If you skip a few days due to illness, work or other obligations, the sooner you get back into the exercise groove, the more likely you will be able to get back into your routine.
* If you continue to skip days, you will discover it is a downward spiral. The more days you skip, the more likely you will abandon your program altogether.
* If you can get back in the groove and exercise two days in a row, you will discover that the third day of exercise will be easier to achieve.
* As another hedge against boredom byfinding a buddy to exercise with or locate a few buddies you can call upon to join you from time to time. But don’t let a flagging commitment on the part of your buddy influence your commitment to your goals. Be prepared to carry on alone.
0 comments:
Post a Comment