You may have heard that walking 10,000 steps a day is the ideal goal for maintaining your health, but experts say this number isn't necessarily based on science—it was originally developed as part of a marketing campaign.
Of course,
people who walk 10,000 steps a day are healthier than those who don't walk at
all, but the point is that you don't need 10,000 steps a day to see a
noticeable difference and improvement in your health.
How many
steps do you need to achieve the health benefits of walking?
On average,
people in the United States need about 4,000-5,000 steps a day. Anything less
is considered a little less. For example, if you walk 2,000 steps a day, you're
considered sedentary or physically inactive.
If your
lifestyle is sedentary, start adding daily walking steps and gradually increase
them until you reach your target number (4,000-5,000 steps). You can use smart
watches and devices that count steps, as they motivate you to achieve your goal
and increase your step count.
If setting a
specific goal helps, researchers have conducted studies linking the number of
steps you walk daily to specific health benefits. Here are their
recommendations for the number of steps needed to achieve these benefits:
1. Reducing
the risk of death (from all causes)
Walking
2,500 steps per day reduces the risk of death, and of course, walking more than
that can reduce the risk even further.
In one
nine-year study, researchers found that people who walked 8,000 steps per day
were 50% less likely to die (compared to those who walked 4,000 steps per day).
Interestingly, walking speed did not affect this benefit—only the number of
steps was the important factor.
But after a
certain number of steps, the benefit begins to level off, meaning the reduction
in mortality risk will not continue to increase indefinitely. Several studies
have indicated that this "threshold" varies by age:
Those over
60 years of age: The risk of mortality continues to decline until 6,000-8,000
steps.
Adults under
60 years of age: The risk of mortality continues to decline and then stabilizes
at 8,000-10,000 steps.
2- Weight
Loss
The amount
of weight walking can help you lose depends on the amount of calories you burn;
that is, you need to walk for longer periods or at a faster pace to gain weight.
But if
you're looking for a specific target number to achieve significant weight loss,
researchers found that people who lost more than 10% of their body weight over
18 months walked approximately 10,000 steps per day, including at least 3,500
steps at moderate to vigorous intensity, in short bursts lasting about 10
minutes.
What does
this mean for you? You need to walk 3,500 steps at an average pace (about 5
km/h) for approximately 35 minutes daily, divided into 10-minute intervals
(with rest or brisk walking in between). Additionally, you need to complete
approximately 6,500 additional steps throughout the day.
3- Reducing
the Risk of Heart and Arterial Disease
Walking is
an excellent exercise for heart health; it reduces your risk of heart disease
and lowers your risk of heart attacks, strokes, and heart failure.
To achieve
these heart benefits, you need to walk an average of 2,800-7,100 steps daily,
and the more steps you walk within this range, the greater the benefits.
According to
the American Heart Association, people who walk 4,500 steps daily have a 77%
lower risk of developing a serious heart event than those who walk fewer than
2,000 steps daily. Every 500 steps you add to your daily walking average
reduces your risk of developing dementia by 14%. However, remember that the
benefits stabilize and stop significantly increasing at 6,000-8,000 steps.
4- Dementia
Prevention
Walking
offers numerous other health benefits, including helping to maintain your
brain's cognitive function. The more steps you walk, the lower your risk of
developing dementia. Specifically, to achieve significant benefits in this
area, you need to walk 3,800 steps per day (a consistent commitment to walking
this amount of steps daily reduces your risk of dementia by 50%).
However, at
around 9,800, we reach the threshold at which the potential benefits of
dementia prevention stabilize.
5-
Preventing Chronic Diseases
To protect
you from chronic diseases
One of the
benefits of walking is reducing the risk of chronic diseases. Research
indicates that walking more steps specifically reduces the risk of these
chronic diseases:
Diabetes.
Gastroesophageal
reflux disease.
High blood
pressure.
Depression.
Obesity.
Sleep apnea.
According to
the American Heart Association, walking for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week,
significantly reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, regardless of
whether you walk this amount all at once or spread it out. Exercise, such as
walking, increases the body's response to insulin, thereby lowering blood
sugar.
6-
Preventing Depression
Even just 10
minutes of brisk walking can boost your energy, improve your mood, and increase
your focus and mental alertness. But most importantly, walking actually helps
reduce your risk of depression.
According to
the American Psychological Association, people who walk at an average pace for
a total of 75 minutes per week have an 18% lower risk of depression than those
who don't walk or exercise at all. Walking longer also increases the benefits,
with a total of 120 minutes per week reducing the risk by 25%.
If you're
looking for deeper relaxation, try going off-the-beaten-path and choosing to
walk outdoors in a natural setting, and avoid using your phone while walking.
Does it
matter when you walk?
Yes, the
timing of your walk can enhance its benefits, especially if you can walk a
little after your meals.
According to
a 2022 study, even a short walk of just two minutes after eating provides
significant health benefits compared to sitting or standing.
A short walk
after eating helps regulate blood sugar and prevent significant spikes.
Finally,
remember that any amount of walking is better than no walking at all. Whether
you walk only at night or on the weekend, you still provide significant health
benefits.