|
|
|
Cool Down properly for Faster Recovery & Avoid Injury!
Cool Down
Recover Faster & Avoid Injury!
A few months ago, you may remember an issue of The Stretching & Sports Injury Newsletter titled, "Warm Up Activities & Stretching Exercises." If you missed it, or would like to review it again, you...
Kids and Weight Training: When Should They Start?
Copyright 2005 Raymond Kelly Weight training and exercise in general can be very beneficial to all children. It increases bone density, increases strength, and improves muscular coordination. In the past many people had concerns about children and...
Poker popularity for beginners
The game of poker is cherished since a long time. It has caught a lot of publicity and fanfare in past few decades. Now there are many poker tournaments across the world and even online. Poker lovers all over the world are glued to their...
Post-Hiking Pain
Calves are burning, knees hurt and legs feel like Jello. After a major hike, the body is asking, “why the torture?” How to deal with post-hiking pain and recovery is something every hiker faces as they advance to more strenuous levels.
For...
Tabata Protocol: A Fast, Effective Workout
Can you get an excellent aerobic and anaerobic workout in less
than 4 minutes?... You bet you can!
The Tabata Protocol was created by Dr. Izumi Tabata at the
National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan.
The basic concept of...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
Which Came First, the Pedometer or the 10,000 Steps Program?
Like sushi, Sumo, and Hello Kitty, the idea of walking 10,000 steps per day is "made in Japan." It originated with Japanese researchers, most notably a Dr. Yoshiro Hatano, who wanted to determine the calorie burn resulting from brisk walking. He then wanted to take that research and try to stem the rising tide of obesity in his country.
Dr. Hatano's research determined the average person took 3,500 to 5,000 steps per day, and that increasing that count to 10,000 steps per day would result in better health and lower weight. Combine sophisticated research with the penchant for Japanese technology, and the pedometer is born.
Pedometer use quickly swept Japan, with millions of citizens strapping on a "Manpo-kei" (10,000 steps meter). The trend also caught on in the USA, where we have our own problems with obesity in adults and-alarmingly-in children as well.
However, Dr. Hatano is not the original inventor of the pedometer. Based on Leonardo da Vinci's drawings, it is generally believed he created the earliest versions of a device to count steps.
Thomas Jefferson was also involved, hundreds of years after da Vinci, as he brought a step counter back from his sojourns in France. Jefferson was a staunch advocate of regular walking for mental and physical health.
Jefferson penned a well-known epistle to his nephew, Peter Carr, where he advised him on what he needed to do to become a productive member of society. There were a number of subjects Jefferson wanted him to study, but he
also wanted him to walk regularly. He said:
The object of walking is to relax the mind. You should therefore not permit yourself even to think while you walk; but divert your attention by the objects surrounding you. Walking is the best possible exercise. Habituate yourself to walk very far.
He also said Carr should carry a gun with him, but no books. I'm thinking that practice would be frowned upon today, however.
The great thing about walking is that anyone can do it, and you can do it anyplace at just about any time. There are exceptions of course to the above statement, but it is the absolute simplest form of exercise.
You don't need any special clothing (although comfortable shoes are nice) or special equipment (although a pedometer is recommended). You can do it alone or with a group. You can do it with your family, your friends, or your pets.
Do you need a formal "program"? Not necessarily, but it can help. Some programs will walk you through establishing a baseline, setting goals, and working to meet those goals. A good program can help you stay on track until you meet your health and fitness goals.
So it's not important whether the pedometer or the 10,000 steps program came first. The important thing is to get out and move!
About the Author
Visit http://www.rypsports.com/pedometerinfo.html to download a FREE e-book that will teach you more about pedometers and help you select the right one for you.
|
|
|
|
|
|