There is a lot of back and forth over whether clocking 10,000 steps a day minimum will actually increase your longevity. It is believed that a Japanese pedometer manufacturer floated that myth to sell more devices.
For me 10,000 is a baseline to force me to move my body. Over the last six days, I have moved with purpose more than I have over the last three years. I would do something for maybe three or four days straight and then something will come up to break the streak. I would start and stop throughout the month.
I have even engaged in some pretty intensive activities over the years. I went through a grueling lifeguard course, I once did Bikram consistently for a couple of weeks, which was an hour and a half of 100-degree hard yoga. But I have never on-purpose put in 10,000 steps for 30 days straight.
It’s not not about the steps. During the last six days, I have gone to the park. I have forced myself back into the gym. And over the last couple of nights, I found myself doing a high-intensity workout (alternating between the treadmill and the bike) that has helped the knee pain that had been my excuse for not working out.
This is about creating a habit that will take me into the rest of my life. Whether it’s 10,000 steps or 15,000 steps, studies show that moving your body, coupled with a balanced diet (with lots of fruits and vegetables) is the key to a healthy life. I don’t just want to live long. I want to live well.
I had been struggling with aches and pains. The more I hurt, the less I wanted to move. But what I discovered (which I already knew) was that walking, biking, moving actually makes the aches go away. I feel better than I’ve felt in years.
If I wasn’t on this public challenge, I could very easily revert back. Heck, I was so sleepy last night that I almost talked myself into “taking a break.” I tried that the night before, too. But I am recording my steps and I will not defeat myself. Thanks for holding me accountable.
