You Are Counting Your Steps, But Are You Getting Fit?

 Everywhere you go, people are talking about how many steps they’ve taken that day.  I can’t tell you how happy it makes fitness professionals, like myself, hear people talking about being active!  However, I’ve also come across many people who have greatly increased their steps-per-day, but are frustrated because they haven’t seen that translate into significant changes in how their body looks.
So, the question is…does greatly increasing your steps-per-day mean you are on your way to becoming physically fit? Daily steps are a basic requirement for optimal health, just like drinking enough water each day.  Your body is designed for frequent movement.  Something as simple as walking two miles a day, can cut risk of stroke by up to two-thirds and can reduce chances of hospitalization when recovering from many conditions.   Walking improves your mood and reduces stress.  Walking means you aren’t sitting, and sitting for long periods of time has been proven to increase your risk of Diabetes and even has a mortality rate similar to smoking!  Research even shows getting up and walking around for two minutes out of every hour can increase your lifespan by 33 percent, compared to those who do not.
However, as far as fitness goes, walking will only help you to get physically fit if you’re starting out very out of shape. Even then, as you get fitter, you will need to add exercise to your lifestyle, such as resistance or strength training, to actually get fit.  I don’t view walking as an exercise at all but rather as an essential movement that we all require. The older you get the more important it becomes. You can be very athletically fit, but if you are sitting all day with minimal walking or movement, your health will most definitely suffer.
So, here’s your plan of action.  Walk, walk, walk for your health…AND exercise, exercise, exercise to be fit! What type of exercise?  Pilates, of course!  Pilates is the safest way to challenge your body and increase your fitness level.  Because each Pilates routine is designed for your individual body, you always get the most out of each exercise without fear of injury.  You’ll sweat and you’ll see the differences in your body and confidence!
So…keep walking…and make sure your walks lead you into your next Pilates class!
For more information contact Complete Pilates & Fitness at 661-208-8900 or visit www.completepilatesfitness.com.