If you have longer legs and/or a wider gait, you will actually be making more distance than the Step Update program shows. If you have shorter legs and/or a narrower gait, you will actually be making less distance than the Step Update program shows. Either way, don't sweat the distance! The point of Steps Out is to get you walking and promote overall health. It is more important how hard and long you work, not how far you go.

(Stride length is the distance from the heel of one foot to the heel of the other foot when you're taking a step.) They've already done the math for you.

70 steps per minute equals 30 minutes per mile, or 2 miles per hour.
105 steps per minute equals 20 minutes per mile, or 3 miles per hour.
140 steps per minute equals 15 minutes per mile, or 4 miles per hour.

If you pay attention to your steps, after a while you'll be able to estimate your pace fairly accurately without bothering to count. You'll just know what a 20-minute mile or a 15-minute mile feels like.

ACTIVITY EQUIVALENCIES
 Pedometers will not register some activities.  However, our creative team at Edis Computers has developed an equivalency program so you can log in other fitness and recreational activities like biking, swimming or golf.  This program will automatically calculate the number of steps and move you along the map.  The following table will give you a general idea of how equivalencies work: 

Steps/Minute	Activity
100	Weight lifting, light rowing, canoeing
150	Cycling, swimming, downhill skiing/boarding
50	Gentle yoga
150	Intermediate yoga
200	High cardio yoga
	9 holes of golf = 8,000 steps

 

SET YOUR PERSONAL GOALS

Week One:  To determine your current activity level, wear your pedometer for 7 days without changing your routine.

Week Two:  Try to increase your average current number of steps each day as you build your fitness level.

When you are consistently achieving 2,000 steps a day, set a new goal of 4,000 steps a day and so on. Two, four, six, eight, 10,000 steps a day! For each activity goal level you achieve reward yourself,  send us an email, sarahmcauley@hotmail.com  about your achievement and set your next goal of increased number of steps.

WHY 10,000 STEPS A DAY?
10,000 steps a day began as a fitness program in Japan in the 1960's. Fitness is part of Japan's cultural heritage. Accusplit has been a leader in promoting 10,000 steps as a low cost effective way to encourage North American's population toward increased activity and wellness. 10,000 steps a day ensures a moderate level of fitness.

Benefits of Walking

It doed not take a lot to get great health benefits of walking. You can recieve health benefits even from walking in 10 minute increments three times per day. The bottom line is you just need to make it part of your active living daily routine. Here are some great reasons to start a walking program:

• Decrease chance of heart disease, stroke and heart attack
• Decrease chance of diabetes, certain cancers and osteoporosis
• Helps control blood pressure
• Lowers stress levels
• Helps relieve arthritis and back pain
• Increases self esteem and mood
• Helps to lose or maintain a healthy weight
• Helps strengthen muscles, bones and joints
• Can help improve quality of sleep
• It is a great social activity you can do with family and friends

Weather you walk to improve your health, lose weight or just to get out and get active, walking is a great way to keep yourself active. It is low cost and can fit into any lifestyle as long as you make the time for it.

Basic Walking Tips

Weather you are just starting out or are a seasoned walker, here are some tips to get you on your way or improve upon what you have already accomplised:

Posture:

• Stand up straight. Keep head up eyes facing forward about 20 feet ahead
• Do not look down at the ground, this will put strain on your neck
• Keep chin up to avoid strain an back and neck
• Relax jaw as you are walking, it is easy to create tension in the shoulders and neck while walking
• Shoulders back and down, but do not tense them
• Keep abdominals tight and tilt the pelvis slightly forward
• Avoid swaying the hips from side to side, this is wasted energy

Movement:

• Bend the elbows at approximately 90 degrees while swinging
• DO not clench fists
• Do not let your arms cross accross the body during the swing. This can throw your body out of alignment
• Strike the ground first with your heel and roll through to the toes
• Push of with the toes
• If your feet are loud and slapping on the ground this may mean that your shoes are too stiff or that your shin muscles need a bit of strengthening
• Keep your stride length normal.
• Take more smaller steps if you want to walk faster