The association between walking 10,000 steps/day and good health can be traced back to the 1960s, when a Japanese company designed a pedometer to count specifically to 10,000. A nice round, and perhaps tantalizing, number. Not long after its introduction to the market place, scientific studies of the effects of this precise activity on our health began to appear. What has been learned is that 10,000 steps are not necessarily the magic threshold that assures better health. Surprised? The fact is that even though this amount of movement is a worthy goal, in order to get the greatest benefit, we have to consider our walking speed.

Every Step is Not Created Equal

You can stroll around your garden, wander in a forest, or run to catch a train. Of course, we can identify the difference between the physical requirements of these types of steps, but our step counters can’t. From a purely exercise perspective, taking 10,000 slow steps does not compare with the cardiovascular impact of moving at a faster pace. Walking briskly has been found in numerous studies to be correlated with successful aging, (1,2), so if you’re counting steps, try to increase the speed whenever you can.

Bodies Are Built to Move

Most adults spend 10 hours or more each day sitting, and research shows that this level of inactivity cannot be counteracted with a workout, (or a brisk walk), at the end of the day, (3). Planning to exercise at the end of a long workday is great, but frequent, short interruptions to prolonged sitting are important. A 2017 study recommended that for every 30 minutes of sitting, we should move for at least one minute, (4).

Remember, even minor changes to our daily routines and habits can add up. Many of us have heard these suggestions before – take the stairs instead of the elevator when possible, park farther away from your destination, take a walk during your lunch break, and so on. These strategies work. Small, positive changes can amount to big differences in our overall health. The value of step counters is that they can motivate us to stay active. But what if it’s just not your thing?

Not Every Activity is Counted as a “Step”

For some people, being accountable to a device may encourage healthier lifestyle behaviors, but for others, it’s not a good match. Different people have different needs, and no one form of exercise is ideal for everyone. Riding a bicycle or going for a swim are activities that obviously don’t register on a step counter, but are still very valuable forms of exercise.

Thank goodness for the amazing and fantastic differences between us! It’s absurd to think that if you fail to take a prescribed number of daily steps, good health is unattainable. Long walks may not be an option for some folks because of pain or some physical limitation. The key is to find ways to move that are not only possible and safe, but also effective and hopefully, pleasurable!

Next month, we will look specifically on the impact walking has on our bones.

1. Studenski S, et al. Gait Speed and Survival in Older Adults. Journal of the American Medical Association 2011 Jan;305(1):50-58.
2. Fritz S, et al. Walking Speed: The Sixth Vital Sign. Journal of Geriatric Physical Therapy 2009;32(2):2-5.
3. Hidde P, et al. Sitting Time and All-cause Mortality Risk in 222,497 Australian Adults. Archives of Internal Medicine 2012;172(6):494-500.
4. Diaz KM, et al. Patterns of Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A National Cohort Study. Annals of Internal Medicine 2017 Oct 3;167(7):465-475.