Stomp Around Like A Toddler
So this may half term has been a tricky one for me, the boys and dean! Wilder has well and truly stepped up the ttoddler tantrums (a 3 year old is sooo much harder than a 2 year old right?) and fitting everything in has been a challenge!
The saving grace is that the kids keeping me on my toes has meant im getting lots of steps in (yey to day to day activity) and also Social Sweat (the child friendly class I do wit @thesocialclubsaltburn!) I have got in a few workouts at home too while the boys were entertained by Woody Woodpecker and since Game of thrones ended I have also been doing a little bit of yoga at home which I will talk about another time if I manage to keep fitting that in too!
So with 8ish weeks to go until the summer holidays I am desperate to get as fit as I can so when it comes to those holidays where there isn’t much time to work on my fitness at least I will be in a better place, hence my 500k step challenge of June!
So why 500k steps?
Ok so most people aim for 10k a day! This actually came from a Japanese marketing campaign from the first pedometer, or what we see as a Fit bit/ smart watch today! The 10k steps was based on the average steps of the average Japenese person taking between 3500-500k steps a day so if the upped it to say 10k they would experience health benefits. Im all for this and so are a lot of awesome Insta Fitness trainers like James Smith and Diren Kartel who brilliantly came up with #neatup247 (give them a follow).
Non-exercise activity thermogensis/ NEAT is the energy we use/ burn that is not from sleeping, eating or specific exercise...so basically day to day shiz, easy monitored through steps using a pedometer (just be sure to stick it on your belt loop if your pushing the pram, riding a bike or just using your arms but moving!).
In short-
A 40 year old with a desk job, visits the gym for one hour of exercise a day...kids all grown up and left home!
V’s
A 40 year old mum of three all under 10 running around like a headless chicken but doesn’t do exercise/ gym,
Who burns more calories?
Its going to be the mum of three, sure she may not challenge her cardiovascular system to beocme fitter or lift weights to be stronger (albeit three kids must weight a ton!) but she will burn more calorie. So if fat loss is the goal (and they are both on their personal maintenance calories) solely creating a deficit through NEAT and/ or exercise then the mum of three is gonna have the edge,
So basically my advice is get your daily activity up, get some weights workouts in for your posture, your muscles and your overall strength., then challenge your cardiovascular system to improve your heart health, your lung capacity. This, along with a healthy balanced diet will help reduce your risk of all kinds of nasty ailments and diseases! Oh and some time for you too, mental health is just as important as your physical! This sounds a lot right? Don’t be overwhelmed just make small changes one step at a time (see what I did there?!)
With weight training and diet you may need some help at first to learn how to it properly but everyone can improve their cardio fitnes by themselves, take that chilled walk into a brisker one, try a HIIT, get on a bike….there is no wrong answer and no perfect way…just increase your heart rate when and as you can and enjoy it!
Totally gone off-piste there so back to the question, why 500k steps?
Steps are easy to monitor, via a pedometer/ smart watch or iPhone.
I’m not sure about you but 10k seems a little too realistic for a busy mum and I want to move more, so 16,666 a day, or 125k a week, or 500k a month is a challenge, yes its a hard one but the GOAL is to get fitter, its challenging but not pie in the sky ridic!
Its also totally flexible to you and your family so again achievable, personally I get more time through the week to get steps in. On weekends i’m rubbish so I will just tot them up at the end of the week and do it that way…if I don’t make the weekly goal I will try harder next week.
There is incentive too, a winner will be picked at random (just gotta keep me upto date using the #phbpchallenge) and will receive a months free online PT or 2 free 1-2-1’s.
If we stomped around like a toddler then i’m pretty sure we would achieve the 500k steps of June, so lets get the kids moving, mimic their energy and smash it!
I hope you decide to join in and make the move to be a healthier you!
Maricarmen x