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April 21, 2023 – Brian Smith has always been an active guy. The 32-year-old editor from Santa Fe, NM loves hiking, mountain biking, skiing — anything outdoors, and you can probably count it. But when his daughter was born about 6 months ago, the time for all of these activities diminished, and Smith found himself with the easiest and most convenient type of exercise available to him: walking. .
What Smith has found interesting is that he feels almost as fit and healthy as a walker as he does with his other activities. And because he wears a smartwatch, he’s aware of his step count, which is typically around 8,500 a day. It turns out that number is probably perfect for reducing all-cause death rates.
This flies in the face of what the world — and even the CDC — has long considered the “magic number” for daily steps: 10,000. Fitness trackers have embraced this number, and users have worked hard to get there. to arrive at. Turns out that 10,000 step goal is rather arbitrary and actually dates back to one of the first pedometers ever made, originating in Japan. Translated, the name of this pedometer was “10,000 steps”. A recent study suggests that the actual goal could be lower – ideally somewhere in the 8,000-step range, taken a few times a week. Smith might be onto something.
The study, published in Open JAMA Network, collected data from more than 3,100 people for one week of activity in 2005 and 2006, then tracked their mortality data in 2019. The findings reject the idea that 10,000 daily steps are needed to reduce deaths caused by heart and blood vessel problems and death from other causes. Instead, the authors found that people in the study who took at least 8,000 steps 1-2 days a week were less likely to die within 10 years. After this marker, benefits have largely plateaued.
“Regular walking of any distance has multiple health benefits,” says Karla Robinson, MD, medical writer at GoodRx. A report in JAMA internal medicine found that walking a minimum of 4,400 steps per day for older people had significant health benefits compared to those walking less than 4,400 steps per day. The health benefits increase with the number of steps you take until you reach around 7,500 steps per day, she said.
What to do with data
All of this data can be confusing, especially if you’re aiming for the 10,000 step goal. There is no need to back down from this number if it is something you like and can incorporate. But the latest research findings are good news for those who might find the higher number of steps difficult.
“Any amount of walking is beneficial, and if you average 10,000 or more steps a day, don’t feel the need to reduce that number,” Robinson said. “If you’re looking for a step goal to maximize health benefits, something around 8,000 steps is a great benchmark.”
Renee Deehan, PhD, vice president of science and artificial intelligence at InsideTracker, a personalized wellness platform, agrees with this advice. The company recently performed its own analysis of 22 published papers assessing the impact of step count on mortality and/or metabolic syndrome/type 2 diabetes. They found that most studies reported an effect dose-dependent in reducing deaths from all causes.
“That is, the more steps you take per day are associated with lower and lower risk,” Deehan said. “Most studies indicated a plateau, however, where the reductions stabilized.”
From InsideTracker’s perspective, then, “Optimally, you could continue to take 10,000 steps a day, but if you can hit 7,000, that’s a great goal,” she said. “The key thing is to make movement a habit and a regular part of the day.”
It may seem to creep in stages throughout the day – for some people, finding 30-60 minutes dedicated to exercise each day can be difficult. “Take the stairs or log out of a meeting 5 minutes early a few times a day to hang out in the kitchen or OR,” Deehan suggested. “It adds up over weeks, months and years.”
If you’re wondering how vigorous your walk should be, Robinson says a pace of around 3 to 4 miles per hour will yield the greatest health benefits, but even a leisurely walk will do. “Walking won’t particularly raise your heart rate,” she said. “However, it’s a great, low-impact way to burn calories and may also help lower blood pressure, improve blood sugar and promote heart health.”
Walking “prescriptions” also vary according to age and general state of health. THE Open JAMA Network analysis, for example, found that for people over 60, health benefits plateaued at 6,000 steps per day, compared to around 8,000 steps for their younger counterparts.
Robinson sought to specialize his recommendations for his patients. “For some people, even aiming for 4,400 steps a day is a lofty goal,” she said. “As a provider, it’s important to meet people where they are and customize their fitness program based on their background and health needs.”
In the end, it’s consistency that matters, no matter what looks like you at any given stage of life. While Smith has certainly missed out on all the time he has for outdoor recreation, he’s confident he’ll be back soon, thanks to his walking routine. . “I was surprised that my base physical condition was so good just by walking,” he said. “In the past, when I had less active periods in my life, the transition to my normal activity level was a bit difficult. I don’t think it will after regular walking.
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Sources 2/ https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20230421/rethinking-the-goal-of-10000-steps-a-day The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
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