10k steps got you stressed out?

Walkin' the dog for walkin' the dog's sake...not to "gEt My StEpS iN"

I struggle with the 10,000 steps thing.  

It’s beautiful in its simplicity, and I LOVE a simple, positive instruction to latch onto. 

See, I love what it REPRESENTS.  Movement outside of dedicated exercise.  It’s not about hitting this magical number or else you’re a failure…it’s about actively seeking opportunities to infuse movement into your day. 

I read somewhere that the metric was arbitrarily adopted by a Japanese pedometer company as a way to sell more pedometers.  I didn’t fact that though, so don’t quote me on it. 

The actual point here is that most ALL metrics are kind of useless without any context. 

If it is painful for you to walk and you’re currently averaging 1,000 steps a day….10k is going to feel hopelessly out of range.  But 1,200 might not.  Or maybe still 1,000 but one extra stand-up-and-sit-down movement each time you get up until that starts to feel easier… Maybe it’s doing arm circles while you wait for your coffee to brew…maybe it’s stretching a bit while brushing your teeth.  Any and everywhere.  Infuse movement into your day. 

Bonus points if it’s playful, honestly. 

Dance with your kids, or spouse, or dog, or your own damn self.  Maybe it’s learning to take dedicated time to move in exuberant playfulness.  You’d be amazed how many people I know that wouldn’t feel comfortable in their own body to play a game of tag…both for the physicality of it AND for the simple PLAYFULNESS of it.  So many of us have lost the connection to our body in a state of play. 

We’re missing out -collectively- for it. 

Or perhaps your current body-soul curriculum is to tap into sensual or pleasurable movement.  Playing with the postures, shapes, and sensations that feel any version of good you’ve got a mind to explore is nurturing to that connection.  Sometimes we gotta let our heads sit it out a round.  You’d also be amazed how many people I know that wouldn’t feel comfortable enough in their own body to be able to  even describe what feels good to them.  So many of us have lost the connection to our body in a state of pleasure.

We’re missing out -collectively- for it. 

But it doesn’t matter WHAT it is, truly.  The point is that it is something that involves moving your body in ways that help you grow.  Grow into a slightly more YOU version of you. 

That can….SHOULD…look different over time.  Your relationship to your body is an evolving and ever-changing thing.  It’s a feature…not a flaw.  When you are able to engage in a more open sort of “dialogue” with your body: “What do you need more of, in this phase of life?” Rather than trying to beat it into submission with a relentless focus on DISCIPLINE, you can move away from hyper-reliance on metrics. 

Metrics and discipline have their place, and it’s important to me that I make it clear I’m not disparaging that approach.  It’s a tool to have in our toolbox for different situations and seasons of life, and it’s a valuable tool at that. 

But it’s also valuable to learn to weave movement into your life so thoroughly that you don’t have to rely on an app to tell you if you’re living well. <3