For many years, the “10,000 steps a day” phrase has been a common among health influencers and fitness trackers. Many people have even set it as a target in their fitness plans. However, the myth is about to be debunked after a new study came up with a new magic number that is needed to stay healthy.
How Many Steps a Day Do You Really Need?
A new study that involved over 160,000 people across 31 studies suggests that you only need 7,000 steps a day. Additionally, it was found that even people who manage only 4,000 steps a day have better health results compared to those with very sedentary lives that manage only 2,000 a day.
Why You Should Embrace Walking Around 7,000 Steps Daily
The new study still indicates that walking often curbs the risk of multiple health issues such as heart diseases. However, to get even better health outcomes, the study showed that 7,000 steps was the optimal target.
Additionally, walking at least 7,000 steps a day reduced rates of Type 2 diabetes, cancer, dementia, and depression. Although the link between walking and dementia is not very clear, Dr. Nikhil Palekar, the director of the Stony Brook Center of Excellence for Alzheimer’s Disease, says that exercises such as walking promote neuron growth, and improve blood flow to the brain and reduce the risk of neurological inflammation.
Why the 10,000 Step Mark is a Myth
Many people have grown up knowing that 10,000 steps per day is the magic number. Experts like Dr. Melody Ding have debunked the myth, saying that it is not guided by research and that it was originally used as a marketing tool.
Surprisingly, research indicates that 7,000 daily steps are enough, and that going beyond that does not lead to any major health outcomes as far as heart health, cancer, and diabetes are concerned. Although walking more is still healthy, walking too much is not essential either.
Boost Your Health by Simply Adding More Daily Steps. Even in Small Increments
Research showed that increasing your steps from 2,000 to 4,000 per day was associated with a 36% drop in mortality risk, while increasing to up to 7,000 reduced it further by 17%. Therefore, do not stress yourself if you cannot manage 7,000 steps per day and only focus on making steady improvement each day.
Why Intensity Also Matters
Besides walking and increasing the number of steps daily, health experts insist that intensity also matters. They recommend aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week, or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercise. . Intensity can be attained by walking on uphill routes, increasing the speed of movement, and adding short bursts in the walking routines.
Conclusion
Ditch the 10,000-step myth and focus on the new 7,000-step mark as per the latest research. Managing 7,000 steps has been found to prolong your life and lower the risk of chronic diseases. Additionally, it has been found to protect and boost your mental health.
According to Dr. Seth Martin of Johns Hopkins, the goal is to walk every day and make steady improvement, rather than just focusing on hitting the target.