Hey Team,
Since the dawn of wearable tech the magic number of recommended daily steps has been 10,000. We became obsessed with taking a few laps around our living room just to see whatever celebration the device awards us when we surpass 9,999. Somehow not hitting 10k steps every single day became the newest thing to be ashamed of. Iβm here to relieve you from yourself, though not entirely, but just enough to get you to focus on the bigger picture rather than a daily number.
In a series of 17 studies with almost 227,000 participants that assessed the health effects of walking measured in the number of steps, it was shown that a 1000-step increment correlated with a significant reduction of all-cause mortality of 15%, and similarly, a 500-step increment correlated with a reduced risk of CV mortality of 7%.(1) Before you get caught up in the number itself, the first goal is to begin increasing your step count each week, month and year. Going from 1,000 daily steps to 10,000 in a day can be just as effective as that crash diet you tried for your best friendβs wedding; ineffectual and unsustainable. Play the long game, my friends and get 1% better each day.
So what is the golden number? Well, as always, it depends. But hereβs some truth.
According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open, those completing at least 8,000 steps one or two days a week were 14.9% less likely to die over a 10-year period than those who did not. People who took 8,000 or more steps three to seven days a week were 16.5% less likely to die over the same period. The predicted protective effect of 8,000 daily steps plateaued at three days a week.(2) Committing to a walking routine may sound silly in comparison to scheduling your gym workouts, social calendar and work calls, but itβs one of the most effective and low impact acts to help lower risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other chronic disease.
Walking is highly beneficial, and it should be included in your weekly routine, though it doesnβt have to mean simply taking steps around the neighborhood. It could be on the pickleball court (we keep it trendy here), pickup basketball, being active with the kiddos at the playground, or going for a hike. If none of the above interests you, and you do find yourself circling the cul-de-sac at sunset, here are three ways to make it more
- Call a friend or loved
- Listen to a podcast, (I know a good one π). Again the goal is to be off your phone during this time. Eyes up, but a-okay to fill those ears with some knowledge, humor or engaging conversation. If youβre not a pod god, try curating your very own walking playlist. Dancing counts, too.
- Pick a local
π¨Bonus Tipπ¨ Always opt for stairs. This will add up throughout your day. I used to have a boss whose number one rule was no elevators or escalators. He also carried around a kettlebell at all times but thatβs a story for another day. Donβt ever be the person to take the elevator to the second floor. Youβve got this.
Balanced is better! Go for walks, hit the weights, check off every intensity of cardio throughout your week and keep stress to a minimum. The more you sweat the small stuff, the less youβll have to give to what matters most.
Until next time π
