How long should my strides be?
The average person’s stride length is 60–80 centimetres. You can work out the length of your stride by taking ten strides at your normal walking speed. Measure the distance from the first heel strike to the last one and divide this number by ten – because that was the number of strides you took. Now you have calculated your stride length. The calculations in this book are based on a stride length of  60 centimetres.

Is it better to take shorter steps during my walk?
No, walk with natural strides, but make them as long as possible. This provides natural movement along your spine and pelvis – which is good for your back. Swing your arms and let your upper body rotate with your movements. You take more steps if you shorten your stride length, but it is unnatural for your body and this may result in tense and aching muscles.


Can I change all my walking to Nordic walking?
Nordic walking is an effective, fun form of exercise. However, from the back’s point of view it is important that you don’t forget "ordinary" walking without poles because this provides a more natural pattern of movement in the spine and pelvis. The poles have a tendency to lock your back so that the majority of the movement takes place in the shoulders and arms. You should continue with Nordic walking, but don’t replace all of your ordinary walking with it.

Shall I leave the pedometer at home when I go for a jog?
No, you can use your pedometer when you go jogging too. You will certainly take fewer steps when you jog a particular route than you would if you walked it, because you take longer strides when you jog, but the pedometer will give you an idea of how far you have run if you switch between different routes. Calculate your jogging routes’ steps separately from your walks’, or use our conversion table to make the joggings steps equivalent to the walks. By measuring your stride length when you jog the pedometer can show you how far you run.

It’s so difficult to find time for all the steps during the day. How will I manage?
First of all, you can check how many steps you take at work and how many you take in your leisure time. Some people have jobs that mean they move a lot, so providing a lot of steps, while others are most active after they’ve finished work for the day. Measure this during a normal working week and average out the days in the same way as when you checked your starting level. You can read more about this in the chapter about getting started. When you know your steps’ "normal" distribution throughout the day it will be easier for you to find ways to put in more steps. This book contains suggestions about what you can do in your leisure time and at work in order to be more active.

Make regular checks during the day so that you can see that you are as active as you have planned. Then it is possible for you to quickly do something in order to increase how many steps you have taken, so that you avoid having to catch up on all your steps just before bedtime.