The 10 000 steps challenge

Walk more, whether it is for work or leisure, is an easily way of being more active without trying too hard.

Setting yourself a target of walking 10,000 steps a day can be a fun way by increasing the amount of physical activity you do. Occasionally overlooked as a form of exercise, walking can aid you build stamina, burn excess calories and give you a healthier heart.


What's so good about walking?

Walking can be done anyplace, at any time, and in any weather. It is a good way to get from A to B, which means you can fit walking into your every day routine. Walking is classified as a moderate-intensity activity and counts toward your recommended 150 minutes of weekly workout. Whenever you walk 10,000 steps a day, you'll probably do more 150 minutes and that's great: search suggests that the a lot activity you do the better.

 
How do I know how many steps I'm taking?

The average somebody walks between 3,000 and 4,000 steps per day. To find out how many steps you take daily, buy a pedometer similar to the one in the video at the bottom of this page. Clip it firmly to your belt or waistband, and it will amount every step you take: around the house, across the office, window shopping, to school or the park. You might find that you walk about 10,000 steps (about 5 miles a day) already, or that you walk less than you think. Some your results, knowing how far you can walk in a day will motivate you.

How many calories will burn if walk 10,000 steps a day?

A human aged 45 and weighing 70kg (about 11 stone) can burn around 400 calories of walking 10,000 steps briskly (3-5mph). If you are trying to lose weight, you should aim to reduce your daily calorie intake by 600 kcal. This is better achieved of a combination of diet and workout.

What if I do not do any exercise at the moment?

If you are not very active, increase your walking distances gradually. No one expects 10,000 steps on the first day! If you're worried about your joints or any existing health conditions, talk to your GP. If your joints are a problem, you can see if your local swimming pool holds exercise classes. The water helps to support your joints while you move, and once you lose a bit of weight, that will reduce the pressure on your joints.

Do I need any special clothing?

We recommend a pair of cushioned trainers, which most people have already.

What’s the best way to start?

Using your pedometer, find out how many steps you take during a normal day. It could be as little as 900 steps, or as many as 5,000 steps, depending on what you do. Record your daily steps over a week and use the total each week number to work out a daily average.

Use this daily average to build your steps gradually, by adding some more steps every so often, until you are regularly walking 10,000 steps a day.

10,000 steps sounds a lot. How do I fit all that walking into my busy day?

Increasing your walking is easier than you think. Try these tips for getting more steps into your life:

•     get off the bus early and walk the rest of the way home or to work
•     walk to the station instead of taking the car or bus
•     take the stairs instead of the lift, or walk up escalators
•     invest in a shopping trolley and shop locally if you can
•     walk the children to school, whatever the weather
•     get fit with Fido – walk the dog

I find walking boring. How can I make it more fun?

•     find a walking partner, so you have someone to chat to as you walk
•     get an MP3 player and listen to your favourite music or podcasts as you go
•     plan interesting walks during your days off
•     join a walking group like the Ramblers

How long do I have to keep walking?

The rest of your life! Being active is a lifelong health habit. It's great for preventing weight gain, lifting your mood, and reducing your risk of many serious diseases, such as heart disease. It takes a while for a regular activity to become a healthy habit, so just keep going and it will become second nature. You’ll soon find yourself doing more than 10,000 steps on some days.

What if I can’t walk for a few days due to illness or a holiday?

Walking is a gentle form of exercise that is easy to get back into after a break. Just start again when you can, and build up slowly if you've been ill. The sooner you get back into the exercise groove, the better. When going on a holiday, choose one where you'll have plenty of opportunities to walk – for instance, along the beach or through the countryside.
Is walking enough? Or should I think about other exercise also?

If you are achieving at least 150 minutes of physical activity from walking, then your are meeting official health advice. If you want to add some variety to your activity, you could visit your local fitness centreand see what's on offer. Some people enjoy competitive sports, while others prefer sociable physical activity, such as dancing.

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The Fastest Ways to Lose Belly Fat at Home

Losing belly fat and keeping it off is no easily feat, although there are dieting pills and surgeries that claim to remove the fat without any effort from you. This methods might work short term, but typically the weight and fat are quick regained. Following a strategy for fast and healthy fat loss is the better solution for really losing the fat and keeping it off for good.


Water

Water are a vital part of life and without it, the body won't work properly. One of the consequences of not drinking enough water is that the metabolism slows down. Because metabolism affects weight loss, a higher metabolism degree will mean a lot pounds are kept off. Keep the body hydrated by drink at least 8 glasses of water per day. If you find it hard to remember, carry a bottle with you to sip out of throughout the day. Wont more click here


 
Food

Eating the right foods can really help you to lose excess weight and belly fat. Avoid processed foods, which contain a high amount of calories, salt, fat and sugar. Instead, consume foods that are high in nutrient content and fibre, specified fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and lean meats. This foods will help the body in advancing the metabolism, thereby helping the body burn fat and calories. Wont more click here

Workout

Exercising, above all else, will help you lose the belly fat and keep it off. Start working out at least half-hour every day, doing an activity that will exercise the cardiac muscle and lungs too as the muscles. Swimming, running and bicycling are altogether great choices to help you burn off belly fat. After some months, step by step increase your workout time to one 60 minutes daily.Wont more click here

Tips

• If you do not have weights for resistance training, you can start by lifting anything heavy. Or, you can use gravity as resistance: do pull ups and push ups.
• Don't eat heavy and big meals before sleep, eat fruits or vegetables instead.
• Drink water before and after each meal. It fills you up so you won't be as hungry, then after it helps clean your system.
• Do something you enjoy for exercise such as sport or cycling. This will improve your mental drive as it seems 'easier'.
• Eat a heavy breakfast, a moderate lunch , and a light dinner.
• Skip junk food ( chip, candy, etc. ) it will reduce calories.
• Skipping (jump rope) is great for losing body fat. It burns more calories than running.
• Walk at the same time daily and if you can run a mile a day.
• Exercise in the morning. It burns more calories than any other time of the day. It can be hard waking up with energy so try to get as much sleep as possible, around 7-8 hours for adults you'll see the results.
• Make a fun exercising and cleaning game to get through all of your chores.
• Before eating something, think about why you're eating it's it because of real body hunger? If not, don't eat it.
• If you're not that in to regular water, add a slice of lemon, lime, or orange to it.
• An easy way to burn more fat is to walk everywhere within a reasonable distance.
• Graze. Eat small snacks every few hours. Three almonds, a piece of fruit, piece of dark chocolate... choose your favorites and have them handy.
• Drink plenty of water to avoid hunger during exercises.
• Doing some jumping jacks or push-ups just after waking up will also kick-start your metabolism and also wake you up!
• More women start gaining more weight in their belly as they age, especially after menopause. The body fat distribution changes less fat goes to your arms, legs and hips, and more goes to your midsection. Some people even find their waistline widening while their weight remains the same. Nonetheless, the above steps will help to do away with belly fat.

Warnings

• Don't try to lose weight too quickly. Crash diets and diet pills that promise weight loss are usually bad for you and actually don't help keep the weight off in the long run. Resist the urge to take the "easy" way out and instead stick with a healthier lifestyle. These way you lose the weight and improve your health, helping you keep the weight off in a way that won't harm you in the long run.
• Doing only sit-ups and crunches can actually cause the appearance of more belly fat, because the abs grow in size and shape, they'll push out against the fat, making it appear larger and thicker.
• If you've gained weight or been pregnant, you may have excess skin in the belly area that won't disappear no matter how much fat you burn. You'll only know how much excess skin there's, though, if you get rid of all the fat first. It's also possible that your skin will tighten up again once you've lost the belly fat.

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Easy Ways to Get 10,000 Steps Per Day

Tips to get your steps in.
 
These devices come programmed with a goal of 10,000 steps per day, a number said to help reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and more. And while that number may be easy to hit on gym days, it can be difficult on others. The good news: By making a few small changes in your daily routine, you, too, can clear that hurdle. 

Why 10,000?

The 10,000 step goal is endorsed by the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for helping keep you fit and warding off disease. But you don't have to act like a wind-up toy, tackling it in one fell swoop. "In fact, attaining 10,000 steps in smaller increments throughout the day may be more manageable than trying to complete 10,000 steps in one go at the gym," says Chris Jordan, director of exercise physiology for Johnson & Johnson and author of "The 7 Minute Workout." Anything you can do to avoid prolonged sitting will benefit your health, he says. 



Walk to work.

If your goal is to increase your steps, start by walking to work, Jordan says. If that’s not possible – rural and suburbanites take note – simply getting off the bus a stop earlier or parking your car a little farther from your destination can boost your step count, with little extra effort from you. “Take every opportunity to get up and active,” he says.

Take the stairs, not the elevator.

Once you set foot inside your office building, don’t immediately hop on the elevator, says Lee Jordan, a personal trainer certified by the American Council on Exercise. Make a beeline for the stairs, and use them when you leave for the day as well. Bonus: You might even get out of the building faster. “Most people at the office use an elevator, so the steps are usually empty,” he says. “People underestimate how good a workout step climbing is.”

Take a break.

Don’t just sit at your desk all day, Lee Jordan says. Sitting all day isn't a recipe for good health, so make sure to take a break. While you're at it, rack up some numbers on your tracker as well. “Take a break during your day, and go walk up and down a flight of stairs,” he says. “It only takes a few minutes, but the benefits are huge.

Break it up.

Trying to get 10,000 steps is a difficult task, no matter how you slice it. But if you tackle it in smaller chunks, you might find it less daunting, Chris Jordan says. “Aim for 2,000 steps before work, 2,000 midmorning, 2,000 at lunch, 2,000 midafternoon and 2,000 in the evening,” he says. “It will make hitting your goal much easier.”

Don’t rush in.

Just because your fitness tracker is telling you to hit 10,000 steps doesn't mean you should, Chris Jordan says. Trying to do too much too quickly can backfire and cause physical injuries. “If you are not currently exercising, aiming for 5,000 or even 2,500 steps a day may be more appropriate,” he says. “This is more than you currently are doing and will be beneficial over the long term. When it becomes easy, you can progress gradually to 7,500, then 10,000 steps a day and so on.”

Remind yourself why you walk.

We all have them – days when we'd rather do anything but move around. When those days strike, remind yourself of your goals. “Ask yourself why you are trying to be more physically active,” Chris Jordan says. “Connecting to a bigger purpose, whether it’s trying to be healthy, increasing your quality of life or trying to be a positive role model for your children can be a powerful source of motivation.”

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Fast Healthy Breakfast Ideas: Quinoa for Breakfast

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Yes, yes, and OH YES YOU CAN.

What's Better for Weight-Loss: Cutting Carbs or Fat?

Lately, it seems everyone is riding the low-carb bandwagon – ditching pasta, forgoing fruits and eating their sandwiches as lettuce wraps. But according to a new Cell Metabolism study, opting for a low-fat diet might actually lead to better fat-loss results.

For the study, researchers with the National Institutes of Health examined the effects of low-carb and low-fat, calorie-controlled diets on 19 obese men and women, none of whom had diabetes. During the study, the participants stayed at the NIH’s metabolic unit around the clock, so researchers could regulate and record everything they did – and what they ate. Each group cut their overall caloric intake by 30 percent, half of them by cutting carbs and half of them by cutting fat.



While the reduced-carb dieters lowered their levels of insulin as well as lost slightly more weight than those who cut fat, the reduced-fat dieters actually lost more body fat than the carb-cutters.

“The reason this happened relates to the balance between how much fat is eaten and burned by the body,” explains lead author Kevin Hall, a senior investigator with the NIH’s National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. On the low-fat diet, participants experienced a greater difference in the amount of fat they were eating and the amount of fat their bodies were burning compared to those who cut carbs.

The Low-Carb Controversy

“There is a popular theory that claims low-carb diets are particularly effective for fat loss because they decrease levels of the hormone insulin, thereby increasing the amount of fat that’s released from fat tissue. Some people even claim that without reducing insulin it is not possible to reduce body fat,” Hall says. “The results of our study run counter to this theory and suggest there is not a metabolic advantage of a low-carb diet.”

However, past research has largely pointed to low-carb diets as the better fat-burner, a fact that critics of the study are quick to mention. For example, one 2014 Annals of Internal Medicine study of 148 obese men and women found that participants who ate a low-carb diet for one year lost 7.7 pounds more than those who had been eating less fat. However, Hall points out that in these longer studies, researchers can’t really be sure of what the participants were and weren’t eating over the course of the  study.

“As evidenced from multiple recent meta-analyses, studies consistently show that on average a low-carbohydrate diet does better than a low-fat diet in terms of weight loss and fat loss, and several cardio-metabolic markers,” says low-carb advocate Jeff Volek, a registered dietitian and professor of human sciences at The Ohio State University. “A major reason people have better results with low-carb diets is because they promote greater satiety and people eat less.” He also notes that low-carb diets are especially beneficial to people who are insulin resistant, meaning their blood sugar level excessively rise in response to carbohydrate consumption. “In reality, each person has a level of carbohydrate tolerance, and staying under that level is an effective method to maintain good health,” Volek says.

Pam Bede, a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in sports dietetics with Abbott’s EAS Sports Nutrition, also notes that low-carb diets have been shown to help control diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. They also improve HDL cholesterol and triglyceride values better than moderate-carb diets do.

“However, low-carb dieters must understand that carbs give your body fuel to function, especially when you’re working out. Anyone who is moderately to highly active should include some carbs in their diet to stay energized,” Bede adds. “If you work out regularly or are staying active to facilitate weight loss, eating too few carbs from a low-carb diet can cause fatigue and decrease your athletic performance. Carbs are a primary source of fuel for your workout – if you run out of steam quickly at the gym, you may head home early and therefore do yourself and your weight loss a disservice. You may opt to do fewer reps, run for a shorter period of time or pay less attention to safe exercise form because your body doesn’t have the fuel it needs to continue.”



She recommends that even those dieters who are following a low-carb eating plan consume carb-containing foods such as fruit, yogurt or trail mix before hitting the gym to get the greatest weight-loss benefit from their workouts.

Cutting Through the Fat

Meanwhile, although consuming some fat is anything but unhealthy – unsaturated fat promotes healthy metabolic functioning, and a recent Annals of Internal Medicine meta-analysis of 512,420 people concludes that eating more saturated fat may not increase your risk of heart disease – slightly reducing your overall fat intake can cut calories much more easily than can cutting carbs. One gram of carbohydrates contains four calories, while 1 gram of fat contains nine.

“Low-fat diets might be your best route if you want to eat a variety of foods in moderation. A low-fat diet includes fruits, vegetables, whole grains and proteins like lean meat and fish,” Bede says. It really just reduces your intake of high-fat animal products like steak (although grass-fed beef contains less fat), cream, cheese and butter.

“Low-fat dieters need to remember the body requires some healthy fats to maintain the immune system, regulate vital organs and keep good cholesterol levels up. They also help regulate insulin levels, which make you feel more satisfied after a meal than consuming protein and carbs alone,” Bede says. She recommends that, even when on a low-fat diet, men and women consume at least 26 grams of unsaturated fat per day.



Which Would You Rather Cut?

Meantime, a recent review of 59 studies on the low-carb, low-fat debate published in The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that while both diets led to significant weight loss, the low-carb diet led to moderately more pounds shed. Still, the researchers concluded that the effect was small enough that dieters are best off following the strategy that best fits their lifestyle.

After all, to some people, cutting carbs is painless and easy to do over the long term. To others, the thought of forgoing regular pasta nights is almost too much to bear, Hall says. To others, low-fat is synonymous with low-flavor. Maybe they can reduce their fat intake for a couple of weeks or months, but to lose the weight and keep it off, the change has to endure.

“Low-carb diets vs. low-fat diets fuel a constant debate in the nutrition community,” Bede says. “Each has their own pros and cons, but when it comes to effectiveness, one stands out over the other: whichever diet you can personally sustain.”

The Best Time to Workout to Lose Weight

Should I exercise in the morning?

Or should I exercise in the evening? And which is superior? This question has been debated in the fitness community for decades.

Perfect timing isn’t clear-cut since there are benefits to working out at various times throughout the day, though studies are starting to favor a morning routine.

Burn More Fat With Morning Workout

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A study published in the Journal of Physiology shows that exercising in a ‘fasted state’ engages our body to burn more fat. Insulin [whose job is to helps move sugar into the cells of your body, where it is used as fuel to make energy] is elevated after eating.

Additionally, cortisol [whose job is to break down the appropriate tissue based on what other hormones are around] will attack muscle.

Fasting

However, if you are fasted insulin is low, cortisol is high, and the cortisol will then go after the body fat reserve.

Supporting studies published in the journal of Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise have shown an increase in physical activity throughout the day after exercising in the morning.

High intensity exercise revs the metabolism; therefore hitting the gym in the A.M will have you burning more calories during the day instead of at night while asleep.

My preference for the time I exercise has very little to do with research and studies, and everything to do with life experience.

As a Fitness professional I am up before the sun most days of the week. I am not a morning person so working out in the morning was not a viable option for me, or so I thought.

Working-out in The Evening

When I saved my workout for the afternoon or evening maintaining a consistent routine seemed almost impossible.

Being a mother, wife, and professional, it seemed that there was always something that got in the way. With life’s distractions and exhaustion growing by the end of the day, it proved to be difficult to stay on track.

Being over 30 I don’t have the luxury of skipping a workout.

With the lack of consistency my physical fitness started to pay the price; losing strength, muscle “tone”, and just overall feeling unhealthy.

I finally decided to give the morning thing a try, though it wasn’t easy. After training with a 6 am client, who wants to spend an hour working on themselves? I didn’t.

Getting started was the hardest part but once I did I felt the benefits almost instantly.

For the first time I felt like a “morning person”, as silly as that sounds. I felt alive, awake, I even found myself singing some mornings.

Morning Workout Routine

Taking on a morning routine was one of the best things I have ever done for myself. I have been able to stay consistent and maintain a healthy life style.

My morning workout also sets the tone for my day, I feel happier, less stressed, more energized, and the benefits didn’t stop there.

 I slept better than I had before.

A recent study at Appalachian State University found that morning workouts are best if you want a better night’s sleep.

The sleep changes that occur with morning exercise can alter our bodies mentally and physically, according to Scott Collier, PhD, the leading author of the study and assistant professor in the Department of Health, Leisure and Exercise Science at Appalachian State University.

“The better you sleep, the better it is for your body,” explains Dr. Collier. “It increases your cardio health, decreases stress and anxiety, helps you maintain your weight and lowers your blood pressure. Plus the more time spent in deep sleep, the more time your body has to repair itself.”

So whether it’s because morning workouts are superior for burning fat or you just can’t seem to find the time later on in the day, give a morning workout a try… It can change your life.

So set your alarm early tomorrow morning

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Drinking Wine At Bedtime Can Help You Lose Weight

If you’re struggling to lose weight but find yourself peckish around bedtime, try swapping your midnight snack for a glass of wine. So, drinking wine as a nighttime nosh can aid in weight loss?

Linda Monk lost six pounds in three weeks and partially credits her weight loss to a nightly glass of wine. According to Monk, the wine curbs her cravings for sweets and other unhealthy snacks. “My long-held desire to snack on sweets, biscuits and chocolate after my dinner has disappeared,” she said.

Samantha Merritt agrees, claiming that “the calories don’t seem to have made an impact on the bathroom scales… Now, I can happily say no to a dessert and I treat myself to a glass or two around four nights a week.”

According to the Daily Mail, researchers at Harvard University studied 20,000 women over a 13-year period and found that those who drank half a bottle of wine (about two glasses) daily reduced their risk of obesity. In addition, studies have revealed that drinking red wine can help burn fat.

Of course, the trick here is to replace your typical after-dinner nibbles with wine, rather than add the libation to your snacking routine. Wine has fewer calories and less fat than many unhealthy foods. Check out some of these comparisons to other snacks:

Glass red wine 

Calories: 135

Fat: 0g

Glass white wine 

Calories: 120

Fat: 0g

Slice of cake

Calories: 235

Fat: 10.5g

Ice cream (One cup, Breyer’s Mint Chocolate Chip)

Calories: 300

Fat: 16g

Cool Ranch Doritos (1 oz., about 10-15 chips)

Calories: 150

Fat: 8g

Moderation, of course, is key. While a glass or two may be fine, bingeing on a bottle every evening might not be such a great idea.

Also keep in mind that for some people, alcohol can impair sleep. While it may induce sleep at first, studies show that people are more likely to wake up during the night and feel less rested in the morning.