A few weeks back I was spruiking the benefits of weight training as being the king of fat burning. Now whilst not backing away from that strong view point I’d be crazy if I thought weight training, as the main form of exercise, suited everyone.

Different strokes for different folks.

So, for those folks who are in need of more delicate strokes there are other options out there.

This week let’s talk about pedometers. These little step counters are the best thing since sliced bread. They work on our desire for information and achievement and our need for more movement.

For years, trainers and health experts (including myself) had jumped on the ‘10,000 steps a day’ bandwagon. This wasn’t a bad wagon to be on but it didn’t give the full picture. More recent research has given us some further valuable information.

Here are the new targets that we should be aiming for when it comes to incidental activity and our use of pedometers.

• 30-60 minutes per day (approximately 50,000 steps a week)
o To prevent putting on weight in the first place

• 60-90 minutes per day (approximately 90,000 steps per week)
o To lose weight after your initial gain

• 60-90 minutes per day (more than 100,000 steps per week)
o To prevent weight regain after you initially lose it

So, while we all know the 10,000 step per day figure will give us the right amount of activity for a healthy and energetic life, it won’t necessarily be enough if weight loss is high up on your wish list.

Keep in mind two bits of information though. Don’t try to get to 90,000 steps in the first week. Give yourself a month or so to make the lifestyle changes to enable this to be a regular reality. And secondly, this is not something that can be achieved one week and forgotten about the next. If you want success from your exercise consistency is key.

Now step to it, and good luck!