It seems to me, people started talking about the need to walk 10,000 steps to achieve a health benefit when the Fitbit (or other similar activity trackers that measure steps, such as smartwatches and pedometers) became popular. Since I was hoping to make some healthy lifestyle changes, I purchased one and began using it. Since I had heard 10,000 steps a day was the goal, I tried walking that amount each day, but it was a challenge. Somedays I was just too busy with work, chores, other responsibilities, the weather was not good, or I was just too tired. But, although I was not able to achieve the goal of 10,000 steps on most days, I feel I developed a habit of walking most days at least 2 times per day. Although the weather often determines how long each of those walks are, I aim to walk between 1-1.5 miles (2000-3000 steps), not including other activities I incur during the day. (Just to give you a flavor of how many blocks equal a mile, one block roughly is about 200 steps, so you would have to walk 10 blocks to achieve 2000 steps).
So, the other day when I was reading an article about the health benefits of walking, even if it isn’t 10,000 steps a day, I was intrigued. Over the last several years, studies have been trying to determine just how many steps a day a person needs to walk to achieve a health benefit.
A new meta-study analyzed the results of 12 investigations (111,309 individuals) and formulated the following conclusions. It found health benefits begin between 2,500 and 2,700 steps a day with an 8% reduction in mortality and an 11% reduction in cardiovascular disease. For the strongest defense against cardiovascular disease, around 7000 (specifically 7,126) daily steps seems to be number that achieves that. And, the greatest reduction in the risk of mortality occurs with about 9000 steps each day (specifically 8,763 steps!)
For people walking 2,500 steps, the risk of all-cause death was reduced by 8%, while cardiovascular events were reduced 11% with 2700 steps. At 9,000 steps a day, the chance of dying early is reduced by 60%. Walking 7000 steps lowers one’s chances of cardiovascular disease by 51%.
The average American walks 3,000-4,000 steps per day, or roughly 1.5-2 miles. It is a good idea to find out how many steps a day you walk now, as your baseline and increase from there. Walking is a form of exercise that does not require any equipment other than good walking shoes. Walking for regular activity not only reduces your risk of heart disease, but obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and depression. Just walking 2,000 -3000 steps per day can also help delay dementia and improve joint health.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity exercise, such as brisk walking. If walking is new for you, start slow and gradually increase. This can be broken down into 30 minutes of exercise five days a week. Others do 10 minutes of exercise several times a day. Some easy ways to integrate a walking routine into your life include taking a dog for a walk, listening to music while you walk, include a family member or a neighbor on the walk, park farther away from entrances, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.
Making a plan on how to increase your activity is an individual decision since we are all different, but any changes you can make to your lifestyle to promote your good health will benefit you!
References:
- Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Relationship of Daily Step Counts to All-Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Events, Volume 82, Issue 15, 10 October 23, Pages 1483-1494.
- Medical News Today, November 2, 2023
- Mayoclinic.org, 10,000 steps a day: Too low? Too high?