A while back I read an article in a newspaper that said walking 10,000 steps was the key to a healthier lifestyle. Most people only managed to walk between 5000 and 6000 a day which is considered to be part of a sedentary lifestyle and is one of the causes of the obesity epidemic here in the UK.
Mamilein had given me a pedometer that she no longer needed, so I decided that I would use it to see how far off 10,000 steps a day was, without putting in an extras. No parking further from walk, or walking to the supermarket. This was my control, to find out how many steps a normal day consisted of. I was surprised to find in the first couple of days I was walking about 8000 steps, that was just day to day business at school. So I decided to step it up a gear (pun intended) to see what I would need to do just to increase my step count to the illusive 10,000.
I began by being more mindful of times when I could increase steps. I would park further away in the supermarket car park, I ran up and down the stairs a few times to add steps to my counter, I walked the long was round to get to the corner shop.
Soon enough I was reaching the 10,000 plus mark on my counter on a daily basis. I haven't worked out what this is in kilometres and miles, yet. I feel so much better for doing this, I know that if I can't be bothered to go swimming or to aerobics I don't have to feel guilty as I am walking a lot in my day to day life. Some days its easy to reach 10,000 steps, particularly when I take the bus to walk and have to walk up the hill at home time. Other days it's a struggle to get past 8000 steps, but I feel on the whole they balance each other out.
Today I returned home after a long day, I travelled on the bus and decided to get off a couple of stops earlier so that I could get a Chai Latte for my walk to school. I knew I had a first aid course after school until early evening and just got on with things. By the time I had walked up the hill and got on the bus (at the wrong stop according to the bus driver) and collapsed into my seat, I had managed to clock up and impressive 13,000 steps and by the time I got home it had just past 14,000. I feel very proud of myself and think I deserve a well earned soak in the tub. Which id where I 'm off right now, ciao.
XXXC
Check out these sites for more information on the benefits of walking 10,000
I'd heard about it in the staffroom, I'd seen it on Instagram, I'd driven past it on my way home from work nearly everyday. Today I decided to go an visit the Bronte Waterfalls. GO and I hopped in the car, we didn't really take anything with, on a normal walk we'd be laden down with backpacks, wet water gear, and other such supplies. This was only a quick walk, it was just off the main road.....
We walked past meadows and over the tops in the most glorious sunshine, there was the ever present cloud looming and multiplying over head, a constant reminder that I had dared to hang out my washing on a Sunday, but it was an idyllic day. We/I wasn't really sure where we were going, as is the norm, I had googled a bit, but I was basically following two hiker shaped objects in front of us. I wouldn't acknowledge GO's concerns that they had packs and supplies and we had a camera and my handbag.
We made it and it was, while glorious might be too grand a word, lovely. I have read on the website (that I discovered on our return) that he best time to visit falls is just after rainfall, as they look spectacular. When we arrived the area was full of hikers and families enjoying the sunshine and tucking in to their very British picnics. As we didn't even have a bottle of water (I know, I know), our feelings of annoyance may have in actual fact been feelings of jealousy.
We made our way back, planning to one day return and to attempt the Top Within' trail, we seem to always decided to try another trail on the way home from a trail we are on. Promising ourselves that the next hike we try would be well provisioned. There is nothing like a cup of coffee and a biscuit that you have lugged all the way from home in a stainless steel cylinder. We enjoyed the walk back to the car, we didn't have the feeling of anticipation that you have when you head out somewhere new, but we had the joy of knowing that this glorious, wonderful countryside and all of the epic scenery around us, was only ten minutes from our front door.
