Week 1: Try Walking A Little Bit More
Welcome, you’ve made the commitment to getting and staying active through making tiny adjustments to your daily activity level, and I’m elated to help you change your life. For week 1 of the 10,000 steps challenge, get a baseline for how much you walk a day, and then challenge yourself to walk just a little bit more. 10 000 steps may seem unreachable or may seem like ‘easy work’, whatever your lifestyle you can benefit from this challenge.
If you’re leading a largely sedentary lifestyle, that’s okay, there is no time like now, focus on walking a little more each day and work your way up to 10,000. If you’re ahead of the curve, maintain your effort and try to add something new like some squats or situps to the routine to keep yourself challenged and engaged.
How to Join the Challenge
Measure your daily steps, using a fitness tracker, a smartwatch or your smartphone.
Join the challenge on the Tiger Athletic Challenge Group. We’ll be posting lots of helpful info and tips, answering all your questions and connecting you to other members of the community who are joining you for the challenge.
Post your progress to the group. Keep the rest of the community updated with your daily walking by posting screenshots of your step-counting app or photos of your fitness tracker or what you saw on your daily walk. Maybe you walked through the park at lunch or took a hike over the weekend. We want to see it!
Get the Most From the 10,000 Steps a Day Challenge
Establish a baseline. Check how many steps you’re currently taking a day on average. Save that number for the end of the challenge to track your progress.
Every couple of hours through the day, take a look at the number of steps you’ve already logged. Are you on track? If not, get moving! Set a reminder on your phone or be mindful to walk to the water station, around your office or building.
If you’re going to commit to the challenge, make sure you keep your tracker or phone charged and with you at all times.
Set smaller goals for yourself. Regardless of what your baseline number is, think about where you want to be at the end of this challenge. Do you want to finally hit 10,000, or do you want to be able to climb up the stairs without getting winded or finish that park run?
Why You Should Walk More
There really is no need to convince ourselves that we need to be more active, we know it. A walking challenge can help you improve or maintain your health, by starting or complementing your current efforts to be mindful of the vital role exercise plays in improving the quality of our lives. Here are some amazing benefits of walking more:
Decrease body weight, BMI, body fat percentage and girth.
Increase muscular endurance
Increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol
Reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes
Improve cardiovascular fitness
Reduce physical symptoms of anxiety associated with minor stress
Improve sleep quality
Exercise is associated with better cognitive performance
Tiger Athletic Fitness & Conditioning is a private, appointment only gym in the heart of Sandton. We use an individualized approach to assess, motivate, coach and educate you regards your fitness and health needs.
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