Stepping Up to Fitness - March 21, 2008

Busy, busy, busy. Many of us find our days filled with seemingly unending tasks, yet not enough time to increase our physical activity. The truth is that most people have to walk throughout the day, and the opportunities to increase the amount of walking are everywhere! It really doesn't take much brain power to think of ways to reduce sitting time and add "life-giving" steps to your day.

Walking is an ideal activity for almost any fitness level. It doesn’t require expensive equipment, or going to a gym – it can be done at home, at a shopping mall, or at a work site. Encourage patients to start in small increments with specific goals and share with them about some of the research proven benefits of walking:

Recent research also shows that people who use pedometers are more motivated to increase their physical activity than those who do not, and it is important for successful weight loss and long-term weight control. A pedometer is a device that counts each step a person takes by detecting the motion of the hips. It’s a fun way to measure activity level throughout the day!

Rather than purchasing just one pedometer, you may want to recommend buying one for every member of the family or a fitness buddy. If everyone wears one, pedometers will feel more "normal" for everyone seeking improved fitness levels. Siblings tend to get competitive about steps, office staff form teams to win prizes for meeting goals, and community groups walk to raise support for charity organizations. Patients can be encouraged to find their “style” of walking.

Use the AIM-HI Fitness Prescription to write out achievable goals, and don’t forget to have the patient sign it as reinforcement to making a commitment to “step up to the plate” for fitness! See Appendix E (31-page PDF file; About PDFs) in the AIM-HI manual for additional information on how to use a pedometer.

Let’s step up to a higher level of fitness!