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Every Step
Counts with a Pedometer
By
James Straub
Participants in the 2006 edition of Lose and
Win will receive free pedometers.
The
simple device could be the most important
aspect of the weight loss program.
“You
really can’t start a weight loss program
without physical activity. There’s no
point,” said Laurie Jones, a wellness
specialist at Mount Desert Island Hospital.
 Pedometers
measure the amount of exercise accomplished
each day.
About
the size of a matchbox, a pedometer attached
to a belt or article of clothing at the
waist counts the number of steps taken.
The
basic goal in the Lose and Win program is to
log 10,000 steps a day. Depending on one’s
stride, about 2,000 steps equal one mile.
While
some crash diets shed pounds, Jones cautions
that unless the dieter achieves some
lifestyle changes along the way, the weight
loss will be short-lived.
“Weight loss is really about lifestyle
change,” she said. “If you go back to your
old ways after a diet, you’re right back
where you started.”
Jones
believes food is one of life’s pleasures and
that it should be enjoyed. Adding exercise
to our daily routines allows us to enjoy
food without risking weight gain, she says.
A
certified group fitness instructor and
certified personal trainer, Jones will
present “Move More” during week three of the
Lose and Win program.
“I
will be discussing the importance of
exercise and movement,” she said of her
presentation, “and, yes, we will be doing
some dance exercise. My intention is to
motivate.
“I
try to combine different types of music and
dance styles to appeal to the different
tastes of participants and show them how
much fun, and easy, it is to get a little
more movement each day.”
Jones
stresses that exercise is vital to a healthy
lifestyle, but it need not be strenuous.
“You
just have to move your body,” she said.
Dancing and walking can fit the bill, and
for Jones, yoga has become a favorite form
of exercise.
“It
is a really beneficial thing for me,” she
said. “It’s a nice change from aerobics,
with the benefits of increasing flexibility
and strength without a high impact on the
body.”
Jones
says exercise is essential to a compelling
weight loss program, and pedometers can help
in several ways.
“Using a pedometer can be a great motivator
to get more exercise each day,” she said.
“Not only are they super easy to use, but it
usually makes the person wearing the
pedometer more aware of how much they are
‘moving’ each day.”
With
greater awareness of their daily
accomplishments, Lose and Win participants
can be inspired to push harder to reach
their exercise goals.
For
instance, when participants realize they are
short of reaching a daily goal, they might
decide to take an after-dinner walk to reach
the number of steps established in the daily
goal. |
