“10,000 steps a day” It has become synonymous with success and productivity. exercise For those who strive to maintain Healthy Lifestyle.
But hitting five figures is difficult, leading many to abandon the effort altogether or to tuck their pedometer away in a drawer.
To see the basis and validity of this widely touted advice, Bored Panda discussed Dr. Jennifer OberstarHe is an assistant professor in the Sports Medicine Program at the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Oberster explains that the 10,000 steps a day theory has to do with a marketing campaign for a pedometer developed in 1965. Mantō seriestranslates to “10,000 step meters.”
It’s commonly believed that to maintain a healthy lifestyle, you need to walk 10,000 steps a day.
Image credits: Runner’s World
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The campaign by the Japanese company Yamasatoki was very well received, and as a result, people have come to associate the number with an effective training routine, and it has even become the default setting on many fitness trackers.
After all, you don’t need to check every day if your device has reached that number.
Dr. Oberster says 10,000 steps a day could be included in the weekly activity recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
Walking 10,000 steps is the equivalent of walking about 5 miles (8 kilometers) and takes approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes, depending on stride length, cadence, and height. Nuffield HealthThis counts towards the 150 minutes of moderate activity recommended for people aged 18-64.
In 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines for AmericansThe CDC: 150 minutes (2.5 hours) 300 minutes (5 hours) of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, or 75 minutes (1 hour 15 minutes) of vigorous exercise and 2 days of strength training per week training.
Dr. Jennifer Oberstar explains that walking 10,000 steps counts towards the CDC’s recommendation of 150 minutes of moderate activity per week.
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So as long as you get in at least two and a half hours of exercise per week, with an emphasis on strength-building activities, you can allocate your time (and steps) however you see fit.
“For people age 65 and older, similar recommendations apply, with an emphasis on balance,” Dr. Oberstar explained.
According to the CDC, physically active older adults are less likely to fall and less likely to suffer serious injuries if they do fall. Physical activity also helps maintain physical function and mobility.
Meanwhile, the guidelines for school-age children and adolescents (ages 6-17) are at least 60 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each day and strength-building activity three days per week.
Walking has been shown to have countless benefits, including lower overall mortality, lower risk of heart disease and stroke, and lower risk of certain diseases, including bladder, breast, colon, endometrial, esophageal, kidney, stomach and lung cancer, says Dr. Oberstar.
Additionally, this type of moderate-intensity exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of gestational diabetes, anxiety, and depression during pregnancy.
So as long as you get at least two and a half hours of exercise each week, you can allocate the time (and steps) according to what works for you.
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Instead of getting fixated on the magic numbers that fitness products tout, we should remember that any form of exercise is better than none. Additionally, we should challenge ourselves to walk more than usual.
“For health benefits, the focus needs to be on increasing the level of physical activity. Increasing from 5,000 to 9,000 steps could potentially confer health benefits for individuals,” the professor emphasized.
“Wearing a pedometer or a wearable fitness tracker, carrying a watch or a phone every day, and constantly using a device may wax and wane over time, but having a device allows us to assess an individual’s baseline.
“Adding 5 to 10 minutes of walking to your regular exercise routine can help improve your stamina and increase your physical activity.”
This includes walking to work (or getting off public transport a stop or two earlier), taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and avoiding the bus or subway whenever possible.
““The overall focus should be on increasing physical activity to reduce the risk of chronic disease,” Dr. Oberstar emphasizes.
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Conversely, people who do no physical activity at all are at a higher risk of dying from coronary heart disease than those who exercise regularly.
“People who spend a lot of time engaged in sedentary behavior are at higher risk of all-cause mortality,” the doctors say.
The good news is that even walking less than 10,000 steps a day can have major health benefits.
a 2019 Survey A study by Professor Lee I-Min of Harvard Medical School demonstrated that older women who slept an average of about one hour a week had a 41% reduction in mortality. 4,400 steps per day This compares to just 2,700 steps per day for sedentary people.
It has been shown that increasing the number of steps taken reduces the risk of death. 7,500 steps Per day.
The study suggests that 7,500 steps — 25% less than the common target of 10,000 — may be enough to reap the mortality benefit.
““The overall focus needs to be on increasing physical activity to reduce chronic disease risk,” Dr. Oberstar emphasizes.Move more and sit less.“
