Getting It Done: 10,000 Steps!

by Angel Lynn Diamond | More from this Blogger

09 Sep 2009 01:16 PM

I have been clocking my distance with a pedometer and I can honestly say that I am doing 10,000 steps a day. I am not going to say it did not take much effort, but the majority of the steps really did not. I am an active, borderline hyper type and sitting still is just not my thing. Relaxing on the couch and watching a movie is difficult for me to do. I am not much of a television person anyway so that does not help.

I have a busy job at work and my feet hit the floor at 3:45 a.m. to start my day. Crazy, you say! Maybe so to some, but I love the idea of getting up early and starting my day. This means that I do not work until 5 p.m. and can come home and get a lot accomplished. I jam pack my day so the 10,000 steps did not surprise me too much.

Walking. It is one of my fondest ways to spend time. I do not feel right unless I have moved about during the day. After a few days of less than my usual activity I tend to feel sluggish and sloppy. When I feel like this I start feeling down in the dumps.

A little bit of walking can do wonders for a person. You not only are burning calories when you walk, but also building muscle. Muscle mass speeds up your metabolism, which in turn creates better calorie burning and weight loss. See how everything feeds off each other and fits together? Walking will lift your spirits. It is a release.

When you have an overwhelming urge to eat that piece of chocolate cake, open the door and go out. I do not care if it is a 3-minute walk down the driveway or a 15-minute walk down the street and back. Take the kids with you if you have to, but go and walk. This time that you walk will give you a few minutes to clear your head and burn off some calories. More importantly, you can rethink that whole chocolate cake thing (do I really want to set myself back and ruin all that I have accomplished today with this one fleeting moment of indulgence?). This move will empower you and make you that much stronger.

Make it a point to walk every day. Try doing the 10,000 steps and see what it does for you.

Angel Lynn writes in weight loss, single parenting, media and health.

Learn more about Angel Lynn Diamond

I am a mom to my precious one and only, a nurse in a heartwarming adult living facility, and a freelance writer.

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