Step To It!

Set your sights on 10,000 steps and you may reduce your blood pressure. A recent study of overweight women revealed that taking 10,000 steps each day caused a significant reduction in systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings. Most inactive people log between 2,000 and 5,000 steps per day, experts estimate. So a few more active moments can make the difference.

To track your steps each day, try using a pedometer. These small, relatively inexpensive devices are available in most sporting goods stores and in some department stores. They count the numbers of steps you take each day and also can measure the distance walked each day based on the average length of your stride. Ten thousand steps is roughly equal to about 5 miles. However, the distance you cover with 10,000 steps may be more or less than 5 miles depending on the average length of your stride.