Is 10,000 steps per day a made-up number?
… Well sort of..
But it’s an educated estimation and we believe it to be a good one!
Hear us out...
Earlier this year the American College of Sports Medicine, who are ‘the go to’ for all things exercise and health, released a review. They analysed research conducted over the last 8 years looking into step count and health measures.
Firstly, 10,000 steps HAS actually been correlated with lots of health benefits!
But does it have to be exactly 10,000, can it be less or more?
Here’s the maths
On average, researchers agree that a step count of less than 5,000 is considered sedentary.
A healthy level of basic activity was measured to be about 7,000 steps. So 7000 is the true minimum.
To the 7,000 base we add the recommendation of 30 minutes of activity per day, where an average pace to meet is 100 steps per minute. 30 minutes x 100 steps = 3,000 steps.
7,000 + 3,000 = 10,000
So, 10,000 or not?!
Aim for 10,000 but don’t be too upset for not making it.
Be satisfied with at least 7,000 every day, to avoid being sedentary. If you’re getting the 10,000 you’re winning.
The benefits of steps
Increasing your step count from sedentary (less than 5,000) to 10,000 per day, nearly doubles your life score (it decreases all-cause mortality risk by 46%).
An extra 2 000 steps per day decreases your risk of developing Metabolic Syndrome by nearly 29% and 5.5% less risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
Compared to sedentary individuals, women who achieved 7,500+ steps per day, and men who walked 12,500+ steps per day have a 50% lesser rate of depression.
These benefits occur, regardless of your weight!
Daily step count has also been associated with BMI, with BMI less for those completing 5,000 – 10,000 per day. Although, over 10 000 does not appear to elicit any more benefit.
The more the better?
It can be ok to do more, but more of the same is not always better. There is some research indicating that too much walking may be associated with osteoarthritis. However, as an Exercise Physiology company we are confident in suggesting that it is all individual. Steps would need to be increased progressively to allow the supporting muscles and ligaments around the joint to strengthen accordingly.
Vary it up
You can get the extra 3,000 or more through other types of activity such as cycling or swimming. If you’re keeping count, as a general rule 10 minutes of moderate activity can be equated to 1 000 steps.
Break it Up
One of the benefits of the 10,000 step rule is that it’s not always possible to get it all done at once. Nor is it recommended.
Wearing an activity monitor and tracking your steps is a great motivator to get some incidental activity you wouldn’t usually do, for example taking stairs instead of the elevator, parking a little further from the door or walking to the next bus/train stop.
So, it motivates us to keep moving throughout the day and as we all know, it’s a game of “move it or lose it” we’re playing so the bottom line is, keep moving!
References
