Recently, Kate Gugerli shared a genius strategy that helped her hit 10,000 steps per day.

(Which ultimately helped her drop 70lbs)

Gugerli calls 10k steps per day a ‘fat loss non-negotiable.’

While there’s some controversy over this ‘magic number’, most people could make a bullfrog-like leap towards their fitness goals with this habit alone.

Problem is, it’s a tall mountain to climb for many people. And they find it tough to pound out that many steps – especially if they have a desk job.

So what’s Gugerli’s secret?

She inserts ‘bursts of walking’ in place during the day.

Apparently, one day, she pulled out a stopwatch and timed how quickly she could do 100 steps. She discovered she could do it in less than 40 seconds.

''That means it takes me a little over six minutes to get 1,000 steps. By doing that 10 times through the day, I can get 10,000 steps in a day when I am otherwise sedentary.' – Kate Gugerli

There’s enormous power in breaking down big goals this way.

For instance, if you aren’t getting enough protein each day… or servings of vegetables… or drinking enough water - break it down - and you may find it’s much more in your reach than you realized.

Also, if 10,000 steps is still daunting in your mind, climb a smaller mountain first.

No one says you have to start at 10k. Take on 8k… 7k… 6k… 5k… even less if that’s where you are starting at.

There’s no shame in starting small.

In fact, I have more respect for those who are willing to start small because they are willing to fit the plan to their individual starting point.

I have a private coaching client whose ultimate goal is 10,000 steps each day. They recently hit 7,800 steps which for them was a huge improvement.

There’s no reason you can’t start small and work on simply bettering your best.

Kelan Ern

P.S. For much more advanced training on a unique methodology of mindset, nutrition and exercise for taking your fitness journey further, faster and achieving lasting transformation - check out a free issue of the Mind-Body Breakthroughs newsletter. 

I heard a story about a guy, who after a late flight, didn’t want to miss a day of working out. So he started walking laps in the hotel parking lot at 3 in the morning. He was so tired that he fell asleep while walking and ran into a parked car in the process.

Some dedicated souls (like that guy) find a way to exercise every single day.

Others carve out 3-4x during the week. While others are weekend warriors who squeeze in a few workouts on Saturday or Sunday, which allows their routine to run much smoother.

But which is better?

A brand new study asked the following:

Do you get the same heart health benefits working out on the weekend vs. throughout the week?

This UK study looked at 89,500 people (ages 40-69) and divided them into three groups: :
#1: Subjects who exercised 150+ minutes (1-2 days per week)
#2: Subjects who exercised 150+ minutes (3-7 days per week)
#3: Subjects who didn’t exercise (also called procrast-ercising)
 
The result:

After checking on the subjects over a six year stretch, researchers determined that whether someone packed their exercise into 1, 2, or 3+ days per week – as long as they did 150 (or more) minutes per week they had lower risk of atrial fibrillation, stroke and heart failure.

And those who crushed it, and did 240 minutes had even greater cardiovascular health.

Something to note about this study:

Subjects activity level was determined after 1 week. That means they may have adjusted their workout habits (or lack thereof) over the six year stretch. Also, they did not look at the nutrition habits of these people.

Still, this study shows a glimpse into what’s possible.

Many people have in their mind that to get any benefit from exercise they need to sweat it out every day for an hour minimum (and get 6-7 hours’ each week).

However, this-here study showed that as little as 2 ½ hours per week was all it took to reap cardiovascular benefits.

Now maybe you aren’t motivated by heart health...

But sometimes remembering these ‘minimum numbers’ is enough to stay the course – even if your routine is small or short right now. It helps to know that the work you’re putting in does matter – even if you haven’t seen all the measurable progress you want to out of it yet.

Kelan Ern

P.S. Over the last few years, I've been assembling a compilation of some of the best tips, insights and strategies that I've come across on fat-loss, health-boosting nutrition and the mindset of lasting transformation. This will not a step-by-step program. It's more of a collection of guiding principles, fundamentals, and tactics that when applied can take your health and fitness to the next level.

​More on that soon... 

Last week, I shared a longevity secret of a 97-year-old WWII veteran, which reminded me of another powerhouse:

100-year-old Les Savino (also a WWII veteran)

Savino hits the gym 5 days per week. He pumps iron 3x per week (M,W, F) using weight machines. On Tuesday and Thursday he does cardio (such as biking, walking 2 miles) along with some extra ‘arm farm’ or leg exercises.

And while he doesn’t always feel like going he knows…

“It’s necessary if I want to enjoy life”

According to him, many people his age no longer enjoy life. But he soaks it up as much as he did when he was 30, and his workout routine is one reason:

“It makes me feel good. I feel much better than when I arrived. I have more flexibility and I just feel more motivated with life.”

Many people believe they just can’t make time for exercising.

(Or they don’t have time)

Truth is, you invest time.

And if you’re willing to make that investment (even just a few minutes per day) it pays you back in daily dividends in the form of self-confidence… mental clarity… physical strength… and vitality.

The ROI is enormous.

And Lee Savino is a power walking example of just what this compounded investment can do in terms of longevity, happiness and fulfillment.

“If you develop a healthy lifestyle, you’ll go through life enjoying it. If you enjoy life, it preserves you. You want to keep on going. Here I am at 100. I don’t want to stop”- Les Savino

Kelan Ern

P.S. Another piece of the longevity puzzle that centenarians (in the longest-living Blue Zones) swear by is intermittent fasting. It can’t do everything, but it can be one of the most powerful ways to move the needle on your health and fitness – for a masterclass on the topic – check out Intermittent Fasting Dojo.