There is no question we are a sedentary society, relying on our cars to get us around instead of our legs. In terms of walking we are steps behind many other countries. Yes, it seems other continents are stepping it up even down under with Australia, Europe and Asia beating us out in terms of pace and stride. These were the findings of a new study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. The study was conducted at the University of Tennessee with study author, Dr. David R. Bassett, disappointed at the low results for Americans
Our average daily steps hover just above five thousand. Bassett used pedometers to measure the results and states that "Five thousand steps is really pretty inactive."
Australians lead the race with 9,695 steps a day. In Switzerland they’re climbing mountains at a rate of 9,650 steps a day. The Japanese may make wonderful automobiles, but they’re not using them as much as we are. The Japanese are headed around the track for a few extra laps clocking in at 7,168 steps a day.
To put this into perspective, researchers suggest Americans walk an additional 30 - 40 minutes a day, indicating that an additional two-thousand steps will equal about a mile. There is no wonder that our obesity statistics are still out of control. I agree with the researchers stating that our sedentary culture is what is making us unhealthy, unfit and obese leading us to be pre-disposed to many other health issues. When we are sedentary, we do not feel as well because we are not using our joints and muscles. Our bodies were meant and built for movement. How is it that we have a much quicker pace in this country, yet we cannot keep up with the rest of the world in terms of the number of steps we take. Think of how good you feel after you go for a walk.
I am passionate about this because I once weighed 340 pounds. I started my weight loss journey through walking. This allowed me to reconnect with my body. Walking is simple for most of us and can be done almost anywhere. It is the simple life changes that will increase our daily life skills and vitality. I both challenge and encourage you to see where you can sneak in a few extra steps to get Americans back in the race.
Joanne Sgro is a Television Fitness Expert, Certified Personal Trainer and Sport Nutritionist. She is Certified in Pilates, Pre-natal/Post-Partum, Yoga and Senior Fitness. She specializes in Weight Loss, Post-Rehab and Post Cancer Training. Joanne's fitness plans and recipes are available globally on her website www.fitnessanswer.com. She resides in the Phoenix, AZ area where she runs her personal training business, Fitness Answer, LLC.