New Study Published
A super cool study was published in the fall of 2022 by the US National Institute of Health’s All of Us research program.
- The study took place over 4 years.
- Participants were given FitBit wristbands to track their step count and activity.
- It was a unique study, due to the use of electronic wearable devices (hooray for more reliable data collection and higher quality data to study).
- Previous research has studied how higher step counts can greatly reduce the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity.
- This 2022 study by NIH’s AoU also found links that getting more steps may lower a person’s risk for acid reflux, depression, & sleep apnea!
Why 8,200 Steps a Day?
For years, 10K-A-Day (10,000 steps/day) was touted as the ~mAgIcAL~ step goal… but it didn’t really have any scientific backing. According to the CDC, most Americans get 3,000-4,000 steps. Walking less than 5,000 steps daily is considered sedentary. This means most Americans are falling short of getting enough steps to benefit their health
Getting ~8,200 steps (8,000-9,000 daily) may be the sweet spot for majorly reducing the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, acid reflux (GERD), sleep apnea, depression, and obesity.
Bonus fact: according to experts at Harvard, walking at least 20-30 minutes a day can reduce your risk of heart disease by about 30%.
3 Ways to Track Steps
- Smartwatch (Apple, Garmin, FitBit, etc)
- Pedometer ($15-$20 on Amazon)
- Smartphone (note: has to be “on” you)
Tips for Getting More Steps
It’s a lot easier to walk and be outside when it’s not cold (and doesn’t suck out). If it’s winter, you just gotta be more intentional and suck it up. You don’t have to be weird and do things like pace circles around your house. Find ways to naturally move more. Then make it part of your daily routine.
- Go for a 5-10 min walk after each meal
- Walk your dog for 10-30 min, 2-3x/day
- Walk to check the mail daily
- Park farther away in parking lots
- Take the stairs (rather than the elevator)
- Treadmill for 5-10 min before/after workouts
- Walk around between lift sets
- Get a mini treadmill for under your desk
- Listen to Live Big Lift Big Podcast while ya walk (:
TLDR (Too Long Didn’t Read)
- Most Americans get ~3000-4000 steps per day.
- Getting ~8,200 steps daily may greatly reduce your risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, acid reflux (GERD), sleep apnea, and obesity.
- Walking and moving more throughout the day may also improve your mood, digestion, productivity, and ability to concentrate.
- Find ways to move more during your day so that they become part of your daily routine and you don’t really have to think about it.
- If your step count is low right now, don’t try to go from 0 to eleventy billion. Increase your average by 1,000 steps. Once ya master that, add another +1,000. And so on.
Steps + Good Programming
It’s great to spend 30-60 minutes working out each day, but how ya spend the other 23 hours of each day is really important, too.
Good programming (like ours) will provide a massive return on investment of your time AND energy spent working out.
We want you to enjoy fun and effective workouts, and then go make memories and live a BIG life (:
You also don’t HAVE to train 6-7 days/week to finally achieve your goals and look your best. We have thousands of members around the globe who can prove it ♥️
- Workout from home or at a gym
- At whatever time of day works best for your schedule
- Workout 3-5x/wk for 30, 45, or 60 min/day
- Options to still include the things you love: Running, Olympic weight lifting, Peloton, Metcon-style workouts…
No matter which program you choose, you’ll have:
- incredibly fun and effective workouts
- 24/7 coaching guidance from LCK, Bryan, and Paragon Coaches
- community support from fellow likeminded Paragon members every step of the way
- tons of free nutrition/fitness resources to help you reach your goals
All our workouts can help get you to where you’re trying to go.
