About Lorain County Walks
Lorain County Walks is an ongoing lifestyle fitness program designed to help you be active and healthy. Increasing physical activity is one of the recommendations from the Surgeon General’s report on physical fitness. Use a pedometer to track the number of steps you take each day. Turn in your calendar at the end of each month and be eligible for fabulous prizes! Increase energy, decrease stress and have fun with Lorain County Walks!
Health experts recommend walking around 10,000 steps a day (about 5 miles) on most days for cardiovascular health. It’s possible more steps may be needed for weight loss.
| 900 - 3000 steps = Inactive |
| 5000 - 7000 steps = Moderate |
| 10000 + steps = Active |
Benefits
- Decreased stress
- Increased energy
- Prevention of common chronic disease like cardiovascular disease, Type 2 Diabetes, some types of cancer, and osteoporosis
- People who are physically active while on a weight loss program are more likely to keep the weight off
Getting Started
- What is a pedometer? A pedometer is a motion-sensing device, which accurately records the number of footsteps you take. Pedometers are meant to measure primarily walking related activities.
- Wearing Your Pedometer. A pedometer is designed to be worn at waist level, directly above the side of either knee. The pedometer should be mounted horizontally in a level position, clipped onto your belt or the rim of you pants. For security, use the safety strap that comes with the pedometer to insure that it doesn’t fall off. Avoid any rough handling of the pedometer like shaking, throwing or jarring.
- Logging Footsteps. Logging footsteps is the single most important step you will take to ensure consistency over the long haul. The first day you start wearing your pedometer write your step total in that day on the calendar provided.
- Goals and Target Training. Different people have different goals, baseline fitness and activity levels, and different lifestyles and attitudes toward fitness and physical activity. Once you have worn you pedometer for a few days and determined your baseline steps for a day, set a reachable goal for the next week. For example, if your baseline number of steps per day is 6,000, you may decide to increase by 100 steps a day for the next seven days. The only competition you have is with yourself. So set a goal that is realistic and attainable for you. The big goal is 10,000 steps a day. The important thing is to gradually get more active and stay more active!
- Key Points of Training. A) Increase your activity level very gradually. For example, consider an increase of 100 footsteps per day. This represents about one extra minute of walking per day - not a lot, but certainly enough to make a difference over time. B) For weight loss program, emphasize longer walks and increased exercise duration, eventually building up to 45-60 minutes a day of walking. For a cardiovascular program, emphasize shorter walks of greater intensity, eventually building up to 20 or so non-stop minutes per walk. For a longevity-oriented program, gradually build up to 6,000-10,000 steps a day and maintain that level consistently over a lifetime. C) Wear comfortable shoes and thin socks.
- Rejuvenation. If you find yourself slipping, go back to your calendar log and just pick up from where you last faded out.
Resources
How to Participate in Lorain County Walks
- Register: Register as a team or alone with the Lorain County General Health District to receive a walking calendar and program information.
- Record Steps: Use pedometer to count steps and record each day. Turn in calendar at the end of the month for a chance to win prizes! Pedometers available for $10.00.
- Reap Benefits: Feel and look better! Have fun! Reduce risk of heart attack, colon cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure!
