Walking is the most fundamental movement for us humans. But how much do you walk in a day?
I’ve read that our ancestors that evolved these bodies we live in walked on average 3 to 5 miles daily. If this is true, getting in 3 – 5 miles or between 7 and 10 thousand steps is a good goal for us to maintain our physical, mental, and emotional health properly. Using a smartwatch or your phone is a straightforward way to monitor how many steps or miles you are getting in daily and to set goals for increasing your daily walking.
I want to emphasize that walking is PRIMARY, meaning that I recommend getting in 3 to 5 miles daily and adding additional exercise and movement on top of that. I recognize, however, that we all have busy lives, and it may only be possible to walk and say do yoga sometimes.
So a good alternative is to do your ‘workout’ three days a week and walk 3 – 5 miles a day the other 4, or vice versa. As for optimal health and happiness, it’s probably not a good idea to do any other form of exercise daily – other than walking, be it going to the gym, tennis, running, or even Power Yoga. Yin Yoga is OK for most people every day, especially as part of your recovery from other, more strenuous forms of exercise.
-Douglas Johnson E-RYT 500, YACEP, OM, CKIF