Is 10000 steps a day enough, too little or too much? This is an interesting topic for many and you can figure out how walking can benefit your health and how to set suitable goals through the following article.
1. Is walking 10,000 steps/day appropriate?
When starting a walking plan, many people aim for the 10,000 steps/day goal, but is it suitable? It all depends on the exerciser's current fitness level and what they want to achieve.
Americans walk an average of 3,000 - 4,000 steps per day, equivalent to about 2.4 - 3.2km. How many kilometers is equivalent to 10,000 steps ? According to the calculation above, walking 10,000 steps is equal to approximately 8km.
For those who choose walking as an exercise, it is necessary to find out how many steps they walk per day as a baseline. Then, the practitioner can set a goal of 10,000 steps/day by adding 1,000 steps per day every 2 weeks. For those who already walk more than 10,000 steps per day or for those who are quite active and trying to lose weight, setting a higher daily step goal may be more suitable.
2. Benefits of walking
Walking is an exercise for everyone. No special equipment is required except a good pair of shoes and no membership to a high-end gym is needed.
Walking regularly helps reduce the risk of certain health problems such as: Cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure ,anxiety,...
3. How many steps are enough?
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that everyone should spend around 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking. However, beginners don't necessarily need to reach the 150-minute goal right away. Instead, spending the appropriate amount of time and gradually increasing your activity each week also works.
The 150 minutes of walking a week can be broken down in different ways. Some aim for 30 minutes of exercise five days a week while others choose to do 10 minutes at a time, several times a day.
Even if your pace isn’t fast enough to qualify as moderate exercise, walking can still help prevent problems that can arise from sitting too much during the day. Adding any regular activity to your daily routine is beneficial. So any amount of walking is fine, as long as you’re thinking about it and want to exercise.
4. How to increase your step count
Once you have set your goals, you can try these ideas:
- Walk your dog: Walking your dog will help the you feel more comfortable, and walk longer and farther;
- Listen to music: Listening to music with a strong rhythm will make walking more enjoyable, motivating the practitioner to walk further or faster;
- Walk with family: Instead of watching TV in the afternoon, go for a walk or hike with their loved ones.
- Meet in person: Instead of sending emails and messages to colleagues, walk to your coworkers desk, create a habit of exercising anytime, anywhere;
- Walk While Waiting: Instead of sitting during appointments or waiting for a flight, stand up and move around.
- Schedule daily walks: Exercisers should set reminders in their calendars for short walks to boost energy throughout the day;
- Parking further away: Choose parking spots further away from the entrance to extend your travel distance. If you take the bus,get earlier and walk for the rest of the way;
- Climbing stairs: Even walking down stairs counts as steps and burn calories;
Is 10,000 steps too much or too little? Each person's goal will depend on where they're starting from. But almost everyone can benefit from walking more.
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Reference source: mayoclinic.org
