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3-Pointer (Jan 11)
Now there's a big surprise!
Ya'll better sit down for this one. It seems that Vince Carter has admitting to...are you ready...not playing hard all the time with the Raptors. Hello? You still there? Yes folks, it's true. The sky is blue, what...
Ephedra-based diet pills and doping
Spectacular sport performances often coexisted with equally sensational doping cases. One of the most common and popular enhancing substances was the Ephedra-based diet pill. Many sportsmen were publicly shamed, banned from their sport and left the...
Golf Swing Drills
To achieve a perfectly formed golf swing, then you will need to do certain exercises and work to reach this goal. There are perfect golf swing drills in books, magazines, and videos, as well as online. You can even visit your local golf club...
Golf Swing Improvement Secrets To Stop The Insanity
Golf swing improvement can be elusive for most golfers. I have read many articles and studies on the huge number of golfers quitting the game every year. They are tired of putting in the time, buying equipment, taking lessons, and purchasing...
Tips To Help Prevent Heart Disease
You should always keep in mind that whatever actions you do today can either help to prevent, delay or minimize the effect of heart disease or worsen it. The key is to control risk factors. Granted that you cannot control every risk factor for heart...
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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.
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