Step Goals: The beginning of your Health Journey
Step Goals: The beginning of your Health Journey.
It’s never been easier to record your steps, especially now with smart watches & wearables becoming more affordable. But what’s the point of setting a step goal? In this post we’ll be telling you why you should actively start engaging with that number on your watch face.
Why are step goals important?
A Step goal is the number of steps an individual aims to take throughout the day. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1 in 4 adults globally are not active enough. Setting step goals is a powerful tool to becoming more active, a means to start leading a healthier life. Even the NHS have backed it. Increased physical activity & a healthier heart are the immediate side effects that come to mind, but there are so many more:
Benefits of Step goals
- Help burn calories: Walking increases physical activity, which helps burn calories, essential for weight loss.
- Sustainable Exercise Routine: Walking is a low-impact exercise. You’re more likely to consistently lose weight, as it’s easy to stick with in the long-term.
- Easy to Incorporate: Step goals can be easily integrated into daily life, it encourages more movement throughout the day.
- Measurable Progress: Tracking steps is a quantifiable way of measuring your progress towards your weight loss goals.
- Boosts Metabolism: Regular walking, especially brisk walking, helps with weight loss as it can increase your metabolic rate.
- Improves Mental Well-being: Physical activity is linked to better mental health, which can be beneficial for maintaining weight loss motivation.
- Enhances Sleep Quality: Regular physical activity, like walking, can improve sleep quality, which is a contributing factor in weight loss.
How do I set a Step Goal?
The trick is to set an achievable step goal.
Setting a step goal that’s unattainable is unfair, it’s setting yourself up to fail. Small failures can be just as off putting, especially when you’re just getting started. It’s better to start off small and work your way up. Make sure you use a reliable step counter or pedometer.
How do I make the time to get those steps in?
It’s not easy when you have a busy lifestyle. Try fitting steps in while you’re waiting for the kettle to boil, brushing your teeth, making the dinner. The best way is to get out of the house and go somewhere. Start getting inventive!
The weather is miserable?
Make up a dance, march on the spot, visit your local shopping centre or get lost in the maze that is Ikea.
The important thing is to stay consistent, even in the face of such challenges. If you know you’ll be travelling all day, set aside time to go for a walk when you get home- even if it’s a 10min power walk. Acknowledge that progress is rarely linear, and that setbacks are completely normal. If you didn’t get to your step goal today, there’s always tomorrow to start afresh.
Ready to start your own health journey?
Start by looking at your steps and thinking about where you want them to be. There is so much to gain from setting step goals, you’ve seen the benefits and the challenges we’ve outlined above. The OneStep app is here to help you set attainable, achievable step goals and gradually transforming your lifestyle slowly but surely towards embracing healthier habits, download the app now!