I know that many of you track your steps with smartwatches, pedometers or smartphone apps, and of course you are proud of yourself for reaching your daily goal of 10,000 steps.
“10,000 steps a day is the minimum!” – this can often be heard from fitness instructors, nutritionists or bloggers. But where did this number come from? Why 10K and not 5K or 15K? Is it really necessary for everyone to follow this recommendation?
Let's figure it out!
After studying some research, I found more about why you shouldn't be chasing big numbers on your walking app and thought it was important to share this information with you.
Contrary to popular belief, not only is this recommendation not based on science, but it could also be hazardous to your health.
The myth of the required 10 000 steps a day was born thanks to an advertisement for the world's first pedometer. It was made in Japan in 1965 and was called "Mano-kei", which literally means "10 thousand steps per meter". In order for the pedometer to be sold, marketers, without any scientific evidence, have firmly introduced the legend of the mandatory rate of steps into the minds of people.
I don't want you to misunderstand me. I do not mean that walking is not recommended. Walking is indeed very good for the heart, improves mental health and reduces the risk of diabetes. This fact is confirmed by science. The truth is, don't get hung up on the number of steps. Instead, review your daily level of physical activity. Why is it important? I will answer you with an example from the research I have studied.
According to a study conducted by Norwegian scientists, people leading a sedentary lifestyle for more than 8 hours a day increase the risk of death by as much as 59%. It has also been noted that 60-80 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity significantly reduces this high percentage. At the same time, the improvement in health indicators does not correlate with the norm of 10,000 steps. The main thing is the regularity of physical activity.
Simply put, no scientific study defines daily step rates that are the same for everyone. Most often, experts talk about the minimum level of activity, for example, at least 30 minutes a day 3-5 times a week.
This idea is supported by the World Health Organization. Experts estimate that people aged 18 to 64 years old without acute illness need at least 20 minutes of continuous daily walking, and in addition to this – from 75 to 150 minutes per week of moderate cardio.
I also tried to analyze the "theory" of 10,000 steps from a psychological point of view.
From this perspective, the goal of 10,000 may seem too high if it needs to be achieved every day, and failure often causes a feeling of frustration.
A British study involved several teenagers aged 13 to 14 who were given the goal of walking 10,000 steps a day. At the beginning of the experiment, the subjects were very inspired by this idea, but soon each of them began to lose motivation due to the complexity of the task.
Thus, scientists came to the conclusion that you should not set yourself impossible tasks, so as not to quit halfway and not be disappointed. Thus, it would be better to start with more gentle tasks, gradually complicating them.
Jordan Atkin, a psychologist at Duke University in the US, found that people who track their steps actually walk more, but enjoy it less because they compare it to their daily work. When quizzed at the end of the day, their happiness levels were lower than those who walked without keeping track of their steps.
Having said all that, my conclusion is that walking is definitely important in our lives. It increases our activity level and keeps us healthy. But daily walks of 10 thousand steps cannot be considered a universal norm for all people, since any physical activity is selected individually depending on age, well-being, weight and goals. For example, in old age, the norm of 10,000 steps can be not only an impossible task, but also a dangerous task.
To make the walk not only pleasant, but also as useful as possible, stop counting the steps, and follow my recommendations, which I will present to you in one of the following articles.
In the meantime, set a goal that suits you and enjoy achieving it!