Walk-come the new year with this in mind…

Hello friends, followers and family! I honestly didn’t intend to go this long without hopping on the blog, but unfortunately, the holiday madness and wrapping things up for the year took priority. I flew back to NYC on New Year’s Day after spending almost two weeks back home in Cleveland (working at St. John’s University has its PTO perks)! Each year it becomes harder for my whole family to get together under one roof (currently trying to lock down summer vacation plans—pray for us), so I unplugged a bit to cherish my time with them. 

I’ll let you in on a little secret: this is about to be the biggest year for Fit by the Fork. I have no doubt you’ll see all kinds of new (and likely insane) diet and fitness trends this year—but you won’t find those here. Besides, that’s what social media influencers and Instagram models are for, right? This is one of the most vulnerable times of the year for consumers, when we’re bombarded with advertisements that try to sell us on the idea that our bodies need fixing.

Anyways, what I’m getting at is that I want to go back to basics. This year, I’ll be dusting off (um, literally) my notebooks from my college nutrition classes to bring you better content. I mean, I didn’t spend all those hours studying to let my hard-earned specialization go to waste! That being said, I’m not an expert, dietitian or personal trainer… but I do want my followers and readers to be able to count on Fit by the Fork for quality, accurate and relevant information. Ya feel me? Cool? Cool!

Here’s your one, simple goal for 2020:

I’m not going to go too heavy on New Year’s resolutions because I already did a deep dive on that before (which you can read here). Instead, I want to talk today about one tiny, easy thing we should all aim for in 2020: getting at least 10,000 steps every day. I know, I know, that sounds like a LOT. But trust me, there are plenty of ways to rack up 10k without feeling like you have to pound the pavement for hours.

Pick a spot a little farther away than usual in the parking lot.

It could be the grocery store, church, salon, anywhere really. In a parking garage? I’ve got you covered, just keep reading.

Create a special playlist or pick a podcast that you only listen to while you walk/jog/run.

You know how some couples will choose a show on Netflix and only watch it when they’re together (or watch at the same episode pace as their S.O. if it’s a long distance situation)? Same concept here! I’ve found that I tend to go farther and feel more engaged when I listen to a podcast while getting my steps in. I highly recommend “U Up?” and “The JTrain Podcast.”

Skip the elevator—at least for a few floors.

Let’s be real, I hate stairs just as much as you do. BUT (hehe, butt*) just think of the booty you’re gonna build and the bragging rights you’ll have when you’re not as out of breath as your friends.

Take mini breaks at work to walk around.

A lot of us spend our workday sitting in front of a computer, which is bad news for our posture, eyesight and overall health, really. If you can’t leave the building to go for a quick walk, aim to take a lap around the office every hour. Chat up the coworker sitting a few cubicles away to ask how their weekend was, grab a cup of coffee, anything to make that pedometer tick.

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And why does this matter?

Believe it or not, walking is one of the most important forms of exercise that celebrity trainer Harley Pasternak prescribes to his clients (such as Ariana Grande, Charlie Puth, Gwyneth Paltrow and Jason Sudeikis).

As Harley mentions in the above post, humans are designed to move. Our population—well, specifically those of us in first-world countries—has become way too sedentary. That’s not to say it’s necessarily any individual’s fault (hey, I love the convenience of GrubHub and escalators just as much as you!) but we should be aware nonetheless. I’ll end with a quick story that puts this in eye-opening, jaw-dropping perspective. 

This past July, my younger sister Hayley traveled to Malawi, a small country in East Africa, on a medical mission trip through a development organization called Villages in Partnership (VIP). In order to obtain water, the people of Malawi must walk at least one mile to a well, pump water from it into a large bin (which takes a lot of muscle), and then carry it all the way back on their head. Imagine Hayley’s shock when one of the Malawians asked her, “How far do you have to walk for water?”

How does that make you feel? How do you even answer that?

With that in mind, there’s no way you can complain about logging 10,000 steps a day.