Walking experts say 10,000 steps may be meaningless if you don’t do this

In a world where most people work, travel, and relax sedentarily, a daily step goal can be an easy and effective way to increase your activity level. But you might not reap the full benefits of walking 10,000 steps a day if you don’t consider another important factor: your cadence, or steps per minute.

If you want to get the most benefits, walk at a pace of at least 100 steps per minute. and According to walking expert Dr. Elroy Aguiar, your best bet is to maintain a higher number of daily steps. His team’s research, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that this particular cadence was a good indicator of “moderate intensity” exercise.

This is important. “All the research in this area has shown that most of the benefits are [from walking] It accumulates at moderate or higher intensity,” explains Dr. Aguiar.

Why is walking rhythm important?

A walking pace of 100 steps per minute can derive more health benefits than walking more slowly. This depends on how hard your body is working. Moving faster requires more effort, so your heart rate needs to speed up to increase the supply of oxygen to your body and the working muscles. As a result, the intensity of the activity increases and is classified as “moderate intensity” exercise.

This ties in with physical activity guidelines shared by the World Health Organization (and the NHS as well), which stipulate a total of at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity, 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity, or an equivalent combination each week. I’m doing it. Of the two of us.

Fortunately, Dr. Aguiar says that for most people, walking at a pace of 100 steps per minute is not too unreasonable.

“To put this into context, when most people walk down the street, they would choose a pace of about 110 to 115 steps per minute for themselves, so 100 is a very achievable number. ” he says.

“If you want to increase your walking intensity to a more intense intensity, you can walk at a speed of about 130 steps per minute. Moving within or slightly above that range allows you to shift gears and take more out of the activity you’re doing. You can get a profit.”

How many steps should you walk in a day?

Dr. Aguiar said the study was “a little unclear” on the importance of walking volume (steps per day) when performed without higher rhythm and intensity.

Although many studies emphasize the benefits of walking a certain number of steps per day, “similar studies have shown that the number of steps does not matter unless done at a higher intensity.” he explains.

To cover all the bases, Dr. Aguiar recommends both increasing your daily step count and maintaining a faster walking rhythm. And you don’t need to walk 10,000 steps a day to experience most of the health benefits it offers, he says.

“Studies suggest that we take about 7,000 to 8,000 steps per day, and some of that should include walking for 20 to 30 minutes at a speed of 100 to 130 steps per minute or more. ” says Dr. Aguiar. “This is the most efficient combination for volume and strength benefits.”

However, he adds, “There is no upper limit to whether walking activity is good or bad for you. The more steps you take, the better.”

benefits of walking

As an inexpensive activity with a low barrier to entry, walking has a surprising number of benefits.

“Even people who have low activity levels and have started a sedentary lifestyle may benefit from increased walking frequency, which can lead to cardiovascular improvements and increased aerobic fitness,” Dr. Aguiar says. .

“This is especially true if you go from moderate to vigorous intensity, which means you’ll be a little breathless, gasping for breath, and sweating lightly as you walk.”

“If you’re walking at 130 steps per minute, or about 5 miles per hour, you’re starting to move really fast. Your heart rate increases, which increases your oxygen consumption, which leads to improved aerobic fitness.”

“This study makes it very clear that people with good aerobic fitness have a lower risk of chronic disease than people with poor fitness.”

The World Health Organization’s physical activity guidelines refer to the benefits of physical activity more broadly, but still serve to emphasize the benefits of walking. According to the report, regular exercise can have “significant physical and mental health benefits,” including preventing chronic disease, reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, and improving overall health. It is said that there is.

That’s why if you’re looking for an easy fitness fruit to boost your health and activity levels, daily walking should be your first stop. Just don’t drag your heels.

read more: I walked 10,000 steps with a weighted backpack every day for a week – here’s why