Even before pedometers were a thing, a good sign that you had your fitness routine together was measured by the benchmark of walking 10,000 steps a day. Thanks to various fitness trackers and pedometers, it has now become a very popular trend. But this measure of fitness can be traced way back.
If you’re thinking it came up after vigorous research, you’re in for a bit of disappointment. Its origins can be traced back to the marketing campaign of a pedometer in Japan. Clearly, the campaign ran well, because, despite its lack of scientific facts, it’s still considered a golden standard for fitness.
National and international organisations usually recommend 150 minutes of moderate intensity of exercise for a week. These exercises are usually defined by frequency, intensity and time. While post pedometers do a good job counting the steps and frequency, they lack when it comes to factoring in the intensity of the workout. Most of the pedometers available are unable to differentiate between steps taken at a brisk pace and those take in a stroll. .This is a key bit of information as steps taken during a typical day alternate between light, moderate and vigorous intensity, which means they don’t all qualify as physical activity. Meaning, you may think you may be getting your day’s worth of exercise, but truthfully, a light stroll won’t count as an exercise.
So where does that leave us in coming up with the ideal daily step count?
Several studies have demonstrated that boosting incidental step count by increments of 2,000 offers positive results. That 2,000 steps number makes sense, especially when we consider that 100 steps a minute are the pace necessary to reach the “moderate intensity” needed to benefit health. Using simple math, it will take a just over 2,000 brisk steps a day to accumulate the weekly 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise — which has already been confirmed as the minimum physical activity requirement needed to positively impact health.
However researchers still unable to come to a universal number of steps that can be considered the golden standard. So where does that lead us with our Apple Watches, FitBits and the likes?
First, set your daily goal a minimum of 2,000 steps greater than the number of steps you accumulate during a normal day with no purposeful physical activity. And make sure those 2,000 steps are done at a brisk (moderate) pace; about 100 steps per minute. And if you can’t get in all your steps at one time, try accumulating them in a minimum of 10-minute bouts. But don’t stop there. It’s clear from all the research that the more steps you can accumulate, the healthier you’ll be. Like any form of healthy lifestyle intervention, more doesn’t always mean better. So find a daily goal somewhere between 7,000 and 12,000 steps a day and get moving.