Happy Spring in Toronto!
With the better weather here, I thought I should send out a quick email encouraging you all to get outside and move your body. Today I want to talk about pedometers...
I started using a pedometer last spring to keep myself honest as to how active my day had been. I noticed in my family and my patients that when working from home (or doing virtual school) that we move WAY less during the day. Days would go by when my husband wouldn't even leave the house (how is this even possible when you're married to a Naturopathic Doctor!), and I know that many of you have been quite similar.
This worries me on many levels:
- if you're not going outside, you're not getting any Vitamin D from the sun
- if you're not moving your body, you will develop more aches & pains and your cardiovascular system will suffer
- if you're not leaving your house, your mental health will generally suffer
- and the list could go on and on!
For me, a pedometer was super helpful as a motivation to go for that extra little walk to hit my 10,000 steps when really I wanted to sit on the couch. Sometimes in the winter I would pace my house while listening to a webinar to get my steps in. At the office, I'd pace my little office between patients sometimes rather than sitting at my computer. I try my best to get my steps outside, but inside counts too!
There are tons of studies on the use of pedometers for motivation, and they work! They're not expensive (though they can be if you so desire) and many phones have step counters built into them. Studies show that people who wear pedometers walk on average at least 2000 steps/day more than those who don't. Studies also show that they're effective in increasing movement in people of any age!
Last but not least I've got to sneak a picture of our new family member, Donna (a 2 year old rescue from Antigua!), who is helping me get way more than 10,000 steps these days.
