Living one step at a time

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Kim Schaerdel
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Many people live life one step at a time, and at Osan, you should too -- literally.
"We live on a walking base," said Capt. Jennifer L. Bradley, the Health and Wellness Center's first registered dietitian at Osan. "Walking to work, walking to lunch and walking to Songtan, all those steps add up." 

The HAWC wants people to start keeping track of those steps, and the magic number is around 10,000. 

According to the Surgeon General, walking the recommended 10,000 steps per day promotes long-term health and reduces risk of chronic diseases. Walking 10,000 steps per day is also the recommended amount of activity per day for weight maintenance. 

To forgo manually counting, a pedometer can be used. A pedometer is a pager-sized device which can be worn on your belt and counts the number of steps you have taken based on body movement. 

The HAWC, located behind the fitness center, has 50 pedometers available for those interested in knowing how many steps they are taking in any given day. They can be issued for up to a month. The HAWC's hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. 

"A pedometer will make you more aware of all the steps that you normally take and see how many more you should take," said Captain Bradley. "These steps people take at Osan are from normal, day-to-day activities." 

Nicknamed the "Rainmaker of walking" by his friends and peers, Col. Sean P. Cassidy, the 607th Air Support Group commander, uses his pedometer daily to track his steps. 

Colonel Cassidy keeps a detailed log of his step-count. He averages 7,840 steps per day. Translated into miles, this equates to walking about four miles every day. Since being stationed here, he has lost 10 pounds. Colonel Cassidy gives walking full credit for his slim down. 

"The pedometer tells me how active or inactive I am in a day," Colonel Cassidy said. "It gives me a sense of my daily motion." 

A pedometer makes you want to achieve more steps. Throughout the day, you can look at your step count. After only a few days of wearing the pedometer, you know the amount of steps you should have by that point in time. 

Whether you live your life one step at a time or aren't really thinking about it, try wearing a pedometer -- it will count your steps for you.