Written by Clarissa Pedrini Schuch, R&D Physiotherapist - Clinical Sciences and Curtis O’Connor, Content Writer
Walking is one of the most popular forms of exercise, and for good reason. It’s easy, accessible, requires no special equipment (besides a good pair of shoes), and can be done almost anywhere—inside, outside, even at home. It’s an ideal form of low-impact exercise that can be tailored to any fitness level. Taking a walk or engaging in any physical activity, regardless of the type and duration, can have positive effects on your overall health.¹ Walking as a regular activity can help reduce your risk of common health problems like heart disease, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and depression.
One of the easiest ways to monitor your physical activity while walking is to track your daily step count. For a typical adult, they should accumulate around 150 min/week of moderate-intensity activity or 75 min/week of high-intensity activity in order to see substantial health benefits.² This represents about 3,000 steps/day for 30 min for 5 days of moderate-intensity activity or 3,250 steps/day for 25 min for 3 days of high-intensity activity.
Don't stress if your walking pace isn't fast enough to qualify as moderate-intensity. Any form of walking will still help prevent the problems that can occur from a sedentary lifestyle. Adding any form of regular activity to your daily routine will help you take the right steps towards a healthier lifestyle.
Activity tracking with Skiin™
In order to track your activity levels and step count you need either a step counter, a smart watch, or another type of tool that lets you monitor your steps. However, you may be less inclined to purchase a single-use step counter and many people find watches uncomfortable or prefer not to wear one. If you’re looking for a device that is comfortable, multi-functional, and can be seamlessly integrated into your daily activities, Skiin™ smart garments are the perfect solution.
When you wear Skiin™, you can easily monitor your activity levels using the Skiin Connected Life App. The app displays your real-time step count and activity goals, so you can check to see if you’re meeting your daily step target. The app shows you your total steps, distance travelled, and breaks down your posture—whether walking, running, lying down, or sitting/standing.
Remember to talk to your doctor before starting any kind of exercise routine, especially if you have health issues or concerns. They will provide you with recommendations and help give you appropriate goals based on your current fitness levels and what you want to accomplish.
In order to know where to start you’ll need to determine your baseline. To find this out, track how your daily step count changes—this is your baseline. Once you’ve established this starting point, you can work towards increasing your daily activity by 1-2,000 steps per day. The Skiin Connected Life App will also soon introduce a Baseline feature to give you even greater insights into your health and wellness.
How to incorporate more steps into your routine
- Combine walking with social activities by inviting a friend on a walk with you.
- Listening to upbeat music while on a walk can help motivate you to walk farther or faster.
- Park your car farther away from home than usual. If you take the bus, get off one or two stops early and walk the rest of the way.
- If you live in an apartment or work on the upper floor of a building, take the stairs once or twice a day.
Another benefit of Skiin is daily activity reminders. When you wear Skiin and use the Skiin Connected Life App on your mobile phone, you can set daily reminders at set times throughout the week to encourage you to keep moving. It allows you to set a daily step count goal, so you can have a goal to work towards. You can also share your daily activity with your circle of care through the app’s Community feature. That way they can support and encourage you on your health and wellness journey.
Skiin helps you reach your goals
While some activity tracking tools, such as smartwatches or fitness bands, let you record your heart rate and other biometrics as well as track your steps, few are as comfortable, well-designed, or seamlessly integrated into your daily life and routines as Skiin. Skiin Underwear garments are Health Canada-licensed as Class 2 medical devices and with Myant Health you can get connected with a cardiologist and share your ECG, heart rate, and other biometrics remotely for their review.
To learn more about the different ways Skiin and Myant Health can help you reach your goals while staying fit and healthy, visit myanthealth.com
References:
- Tudor-Locke C. Steps to Better Cardiovascular Health: How Many Steps Does It Take to Achieve Good Health and How Confident Are We in This Number? Curr Cardiovasc Risk Rep 2010; 4: 271–276.
- 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee. 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report. United States Dep Heal Hum Serv 2018; 779.
