There is something about numbers that is very motivating. I have no idea why this is, but for some reason keeping track of or aiming to obtain a certain number seems to make things happen.
With the recent craze of the Fit bit, jawbone or even just the heath app on the I phone, we can measure so many different aspects of exercise. Some training facilities are even incorporating heart rate monitors with their heart rate displayed on a screen so the coach/ group can see how hard each other are working,
I started giving this measuring thing a go with the simplest and easiest thing to measure on my phone which was steps. Apparently 10,000 steps a day is meant to be what is considered healthy and burns an additional 500 calories a day.
I was pleasantly surprised by the benefits of walking 10,000 steps a day.
I am very lucky to live and work next to Kensington Gardens/Hyde Park which means I have easy access to a beautiful place to walk. When I had a gap between clients or finished for the day, I would go for a walk.
I found the following things happened on the days I walked 10,000 steps or more
1. I had much more energy than usual. This was even on days where I felt tired or had not slept well the night before
2. My mood was significantly better on days I walked compared to those I didn't
3. I felt less stressed and had far more clarity
4. My appreciation for the small things in nature increased
5. I delivered much better sessions to my clients
6. I slept much better
All of these things happened just because I took the time to measure my steps and try to hit 10,000 steps consistently. It was extremely easy to do, I needed no equipment other than my phone (on airplane mode to avoid distraction) and myself.
I was pleasantly surprised by just how effective this was and there is a lot of science to back up the simple act if walking can keep you brain young and significantly reduce your chance of getting Alzheimer's.
Give it a go today and see if you feel any difference.
Yours In Health
Patrick Fallis
Founder of Leaner
www.leaner-uk.com