| Here are answers to Frequently Asked Questions -- | | | | It can be okay, assuming that this person gets |
| an FAQ -- about who can benefit from walking 10K | | | | approval from his or her physician, can handle the |
| steps/day. | | | | stress of the excess weight, and works cautiously up |
| | | | to this level. The physician may initially recommend |
| Q. "Is it okay for a sedentary adult to begin walking | | | | swimming, walking in a pool, or even a special treadmill |
| 10K steps/day?" | | | | that suspends the patient slightly. The initial non-walking |
| Yes, assuming that he or she has consulted a | | | | or modified-walking activity can acclimate the |
| physician and works up to this level of daily activity, it is | | | | morbidly-obese individual to daily exercise and |
| okay for a sedentary adult to eventually walk 10K | | | | eventually let that individual lower his or her weight |
| steps/day. The good news for many sedentary adults | | | | enough to walk regularly and with an increasing |
| is that they probably already walk at least one or two | | | | number of daily steps. |
| thousand steps a day, so they only have to increase | | | | Q. "What benefits can an athlete get from walking 10K |
| their daily walking, not start from absolutely no walking. | | | | steps/day?" |
| The key is to increase the number of daily steps | | | | Walking 10K steps/day, in addition to other workouts |
| slowly but surely; a good 10K-steps/day program will | | | | throughout the week, can give an athlete several |
| describe this in detail. | | | | benefits: decreased stress; energy that motivates for |
| | | | more vigorous workouts; and a calming effect to |
| Q. "Is it okay for a mildly obese person to begin | | | | counterbalance the high stimulation of more vigorous |
| walking 10K steps/day?" | | | | workouts. Like swimming, walking 10K steps/day can |
| Yes, assuming that he or she has consulted a | | | | be an excellent cross-training activity for |
| physician and works slowly up to this level of daily | | | | non-aquatic-sports athletes. But walking handily beats |
| activity, it is okay for a mildly obese person to | | | | swimming for convenience: You truly can walk almost |
| eventually walk 10K steps/day. Many mildly obese | | | | anywhere and at almost any time! |
| people already walk a thousand or more steps a day, | | | | Q. "Is it okay for the elderly to walk 10K steps/day?" |
| so, as with sedentary adults, they are already part of | | | | Definitely, assuming that they have gotten approval |
| the way toward the daily goal of walking 10K steps | | | | from their physicians. Walking 10K steps/day can |
| day. The slow-but-sure weight loss that can come | | | | increase the quality and duration of their sleep, |
| from walking a little more each day has a synergistic | | | | enhance their mental acuity, and condition their muscles |
| effect, too: The more that such an individual walks and | | | | and bones. And, although life extension is not |
| "releases" weight, the easier it becomes to reach the | | | | guaranteed, walking 10K steps/day can help the elderly |
| 10K-steps/day goal! | | | | to add life to the years that they have remaining. For |
| Q. "Is it okay for a morbidly obese person to begin a | | | | example, walking can be an activity that the elderly |
| 10K-steps/day program?" | | | | share daily with their friends or loved ones. |
