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<\/p>\nYou\u2019ve probably heard that hitting 10,000 steps a day is the key to health and longevity.<\/p>\n
By Hunter Bennett for The Conversation<\/b><\/p>\n
This magic number feels like a medical rule, handed down by doctors across the globe.<\/p>\n
But where did it come from? And is it even true?<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s step back to Japan in 1964<\/p>\n
Believe it or not, but the infamous 10,000 steps a day recommendation didn\u2019t come from a research laboratory.<\/p>\n
In fact, it is not scientific at all.<\/p>\n
It came from a Japanese pedometer called the manpo-kei which translates to \u201c10,000-step meter\u201d.<\/p>\n
This pedometer went on sale just after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, at a time when there was a growing worry people in Japan weren\u2019t moving enough.<\/p>\n
The number was mainly chosen because it was catchy and easy to remember. The Japanese kanji character for 10,000 \u2013 \u4e07 \u2013 even looks a little like a walking person, which may have played a role in deciding on the number.<\/p>\n
So 10,000 was a slogan to sell a step-counter, not an evidence-based recommendation.<\/p>\n
So what does the research say?<\/p>\n
Getting 10,000 steps a day can be a useful goal, and it will have a positive impact on your health. But you can reap health benefits from even less.<\/p>\n
A recently published systematic review combined the results of 57 studies and more than 160,000 adults to examine the relationship between daily steps and health. Interestingly, they found 7,000 steps a day was where health benefits were maximised.<\/p>\n
Reaching 7,000 steps a day was linked to a 47% lower risk of dying early, a 25% lower risk of cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke), a 14% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, a 38% lower risk of dementia, a 22% lower some of depression and a 28% lower risk of falls.<\/p>\n
Some health benefits started well before 7,000 steps.<\/p>\n
The researchers found going from about 2,000 to 4,000 steps a day makes a real difference. These health benefits then increase again slightly from 4,000 to 7,000 steps a day, after which the benefits start to plateau.<\/p>\n
These results align closely with other research looking at all types of physical activity, where going from being inactive to moderately active yields the largest health improvements. Moving from a moderate to high level of activity does provide additional benefits, but these are much smaller in magnitude.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Daily walks can help muscular, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. (Source: istock.com)<\/p>\n
Why walking is good for you<\/p>\n
Walking is a form of \u201caerobic\u201d exercise. It raises your heart rate and places stress on your respiratory, muscular and cardiovascular systems.<\/p>\n
If you do it regularly, it can improve your heart and metabolic health, and reduce your body weight.<\/p>\n
Walking can also reduce stress and improve mental health, possibly due improvements in feelings of self-esteem and self-efficacy that comes with regular movement.<\/p>\n
Steps versus minutes<\/p>\n
There is some additional nuance that needs to be considered when discussing how far you walk each day: how hard you walk.<\/p>\n
Most people choose a walking pace that pushes them into the realm of \u201cmoderate intensity\u201d exercise. However, the health benefits of exercise scale up with exercise intensity: you get more bang for your buck from more intense exercise.<\/p>\n
So, if you pick up the pace and move towards a vigorous exercise intensity (where it\u2019s hard to maintain a conversation), you will get larger health benefits in less time. This is why official exercise guidelines treat 75 minutes of vigorous activity as roughly equal to 150 minutes of moderate activity.<\/p>\n
With this in mind, rather than focusing on steps, you might be better off focusing on the number of minutes you accumulate each week.<\/p>\n
Recent research even suggests short bursts of high-intensity exercise spread across the day can have surprising health benefits.<\/p>\n
So, if you\u2019re short on time, walking faster is one of the simplest ways to get more out of that same walk.<\/p>\n
But walking alone isn\u2019t enough<\/p>\n
Walking covers the \u201caerobic\u201d side of fitness well. However, it doesn\u2019t really address the \u201canaerobic\u201d side.<\/p>\n
Anaerobic fitness refers to your muscle mass, muscle strength, and power. Having higher anaerobic fitness is linked to having a better quality of life and lower risk of mortality as you get older.<\/p>\n
This is why most health authorities recommend muscle-strengthening activities (such as lifting weights) at least two days a week.<\/p>\n
This will also help reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes, while also helping you avoid falls and stay independent for longer as you get older.<\/p>\n
If you can aim to hit 7,000 steps each day, and add in weight training twice per week, you\u2019re going to have most of your bases covered from a health perspective.<\/p>\n
Hunter Bennett is a lecturer in exercise science at the University of Adelaide.<\/p>\n