Taking a step! How many steps do you do daily?

Sometimes our days are so hectic, we don't even realize how at times we hardly move. What I mean by this is that as students or professionals, most of us spend our days sitting in front of a computer working. We hardly walk because we either don't have the time or it is not necessary. With the use of a car, what is the point of walking places? What is the point of walking around campus if there is a bus service? In an attempt to do things faster, we end up staying motionless. 

At least this was the case with me. As a student I spend most of my days sitting in a desk writing or taking classes. Both of these things don't involve any type of physical activity from my part. I end up my days mentally exhausted because my brain has exercised, but my body hasn't. 

In an attempt to start living a more healthy and active life, I started using a fitbit. This is a small gadget you put in your pants or bra and it counts the amounts of steps, calories burned, distance walked and floors climbed. Once I set up this small gadget, I created an online profile. The goal for everyone in the website is to do 10,000 daily steps. It is also recommended you climb 10 floors and cover 5 miles in a day. At first I thought this was impossible to do. 10,000 steps? That is crazy! 

The first time I used the fitbit (it is like a chronometer) I used it on a regular day. I wanted to see how many steps I did daily without making any amount of effort from my part. I put it on in the morning and when I took it out during the night I had walked less than 3,000 steps. I still remember because it shocked me how little I was active during the day. I made an effort to try to reach the 10,000 daily steps.

I started running around campus when my last class finished. I made it my goal to run at least 3 days. At the beginning it was hard to stay motivated, because I was working out alone, but after the first week I felt physically stronger. I wanted to keep running because oddly enough it made me more relaxed. Has this happened to you? I was surprised as how much energy I had the next morning.

 After a while, reaching the 10,000 steps was not that difficult. I can now reach those 10,000 steps and run a few miles. I am now more motivated to participate in marathons. There is a cancer awareness marathon I am thinking of joining. There is also another marathons I think us girls will really enjoy. It is called the "Run Like a Diva". It is a marathon for girls like us. From what I have seen, as you run you can wear tiaras and tutus. It sounds like a fun marathon which I would also love to do. 

I am glad I got into running. It has given me the motivation to do other activities. It is also a healthy hobby to have. I encourage all of you girls to run and stay healthy. We could create a small community of latinitas motivating each other! 

Here is the link to the diva marathon if you are interested in participating: http://www.runlikeadiva.com/

Out of curiosity, how many steps do you think you are doing daily?