5 min Facts: Small Steps Big Rewards- the surprising benefits of 10,000 steps

Are you curious about the relationship between daily step count and optimal health? Listen in to this week’s podcast as we explore the latest research on the benefits of accumulating steps throughout the day. We'll discuss the recommended number of steps for adults and children, and examine the impact of accumulating steps all at once versus spreading them out throughout the day. From improving cardiovascular health and reducing the risk of chronic diseases to promoting better sleep quality and reducing anxiety and depression, taking more steps can have a wide range of benefits for your physical and mental health aka YOUR PERFORMANCE!  Tune in to discover the latest findings and practical tips for incorporating more steps into your daily routine, and learn how you can start taking steps towards your best today.

1.Walking 10,000 steps per day is often recommended for optimal health, as it can help reduce the risk of various health problems such as heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

 

2.Children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 years should aim for at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day, which can include activities such as walking, running, or playing sports. Their taget is 12,000 steps.

 

3.Accumulating steps in short bouts throughout the day is associated with lower body mass index (BMI) and better cardiovascular health, while breaking up sedentary time with short bouts of activity can help lower levels of body fat and improve insulin sensitivity. This is preferred over all at once. Researchers found that taking at least 3,000 steps in 30 minutes or less was particularly beneficial for improving health outcomes (researching women).

Another study published in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health in 2021 found that breaking up sedentary time with short bouts of activity (such as taking a few minutes to walk around every hour) was associated with lower levels of body fat and better insulin sensitivity in a sample of middle-aged adults.

 

4.The optimal number of steps per day can vary depending on individual factors such as age, fitness level, and overall health status.What do you want? Ideal cardiovascular fitness? Injury prevention? Aesthetics? Performance? Steps are less about training and more about healthy activity. It is a correlation and monitoring tool that can be prescriptive.

 

5. A 2018 study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that accumulating steps throughout the day was associated with better sleep quality and lower levels of anxiety and depression in a sample of college students. The researchers noted that these benefits were seen regardless of whether the steps were accumulated in short bouts or all at once. 

 

it can help reduce the risk of various health problems such as heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes. There have been several recent studies examining the relationship between daily step count and health outcomes.

 

For example, a 2021 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine analyzed data from over 4,800 middle-aged adults and found that those who took 10,000 steps or more per day had a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to those who took fewer steps. Another study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in 2020 found that accumulating 10,000 steps per day was associated with lower levels of body fat, blood pressure, and insulin resistance in a sample of young adults.

 

History:

the concept of taking 10,000 steps per day actually originated in Japan in the mid-1960s. The term "manpo-kei" was coined by a Japanese company that produced pedometers, which were called "manpo-kei" in Japanese (meaning "10,000 steps meter"). The company used the term to market their pedometers and encourage people to walk more. Over time, the concept of taking 10,000 steps per day became popularized around the world as a guideline for improving health and physical activity levels. Today, many fitness trackers and pedometers still use the 10,000 step goal as a default target, despite the fact that the optimal number of steps can vary depending on individual factors.

 

1. Karelis AD, et al. Accumulation of steps and cardiometabolic health in sedentary women. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2019 May 14;16(1):41. doi: 10.1186/s12966-019-0802-2. PMID: 31088412; PMCID: PMC6519449. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6519449/

2. Buman MP, et al. Breaking Up Prolonged Sitting With Standing or Walking Attenuates the Postprandial Metabolic Response in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Acute Study. J Phys Act Health. 2021 Mar 1;18(3):313-322. doi: 10.1123/jpah.2020-0103. Epub 2021 Jan 14. PMID: 33443783. https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/jpah/18/3/article-p313.xml

3. Loprinzi PD, et al. Associations of objectively measured physical activity and sedentary behavior with sleep quality, anxiety, and depression among college students. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Jun 29;15(7):1485. doi:

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