Aiming for 10,000 steps? Here's your new target.

Most adults spend 10 hours per day sitting, and research shows this level of inactivity cannot be counteracted with a workout at the end of the day. To maintain health, you really need mild but near-continuous movement throughout your waking hours. One strategy that has been shown to have a positive impact is simply to stand up more. Increasing your daily walking is another key strategy that pays significant short and long term dividends. According to the World Health Organization, inactivity is the fourth biggest killer of adults worldwide, responsible for 5.1% to 12.5% (average 9%) of premature deaths, and walking more could go a long way toward reducing this risk. But just how long do your treks need to be? A common recommendation is 10,000 steps a day, but where did that number come from? The obscure origins of the 10,000 steps recommendation. That number does have an origin, but it didn't come from health studies or scientific research. The idea of walking at least 10,000 steps a day comes from a Japanese marketing campaign by the Yamasa Clock and Instrument Company, launched in 1965 to promote its Manpo-kei pedometer, a brand name that translates to "10,000 steps meter." Companies in the US adopted the idea recently to help promote their fitness trackers. So, if the number 10,000 wasn't scientifically determined, how many steps should you actually aim for each day? Researcher I-Min Lee of Brigham and Women's Hospital set out to find the answer. How many steps a day do you need for health and longevity? Lee designed a study that included 18,289 women from the Women's Health Study aged between 62 to 101, who agreed to wear an accelerometer during waking hours for seven days. Of these, 16,741 wore the devices as instructed and returned them for data analysis. The study, published online in May 2019 in JAMA Internal Medicine, showed that, compared to women who took an average of 2,718 steps: •Women who took 4,363 steps per day were 41% less likely to die in the next four years. •Women who took 5,905 steps 46% less likely to die in the next four years. •Women who took 8,442 steps were 58% less likely to die in the next four years. **At first glance, it appears that more is better, but it turns out the benefits progressively increased between 4,400 and 7,500 steps, at which point they leveled off. Step count matters more than intensity for the elderly. Higher intensities were also associated with lower risks of mortality. However, after adjustments for the number of steps taken each day, this correlation more or less vanished. As concluded by the authors: "Among older women, as few as approximately 4400 steps was significantly related to lower mortality rates compared with approximately 2700 steps. Stepping intensity was not clearly related to lower mortality rates after accounting for total steps per day." Limitations of the study, which could have influenced results, include the accuracy of the step count (step trackers are not foolproof), and the fact that the researchers did not take into account other types of movement or exercise, such as gardening. It also did not look at any other potential benefits beyond mortality rates, nor is it clear if the results will apply equally to men and younger individuals. Many studies confirm walking boosts health and longevity. While it's easy to say that something is better than nothing when it comes to staying active, research does show there's typically a minimum level of activity required before you notice any discernible difference. Most studies show that more activity is better than less — up to a point. It's important to get the dosage right. Several previous studies have confirmed various measures of walking impart valuable health benefits and protect against many of the most common killers. For example: Research published in in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in 2018 found that as little as 120 minutes of walking per week may reduce mortality, compared to inactivity. Meeting or doubling the activity guidelines per week in the form of walking lowered all-cause mortality by 20%. According to the authors, "Walking was most strongly associated with respiratory disease mortality, cardiovascular disease mortality and cancer mortality." Compared to slow walking, walking at a self-reported average pace was associated with a 20% reduced risk of all-cause mortality and a 24% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. A brisk pace reduced all-cause mortality by 24% and cardiovascular disease mortality by 21%. Research published in 2012 found brisk walking improved life expectancy regardless of body weight. According to the authors: "A physical activity level … equivalent to brisk walking for up to 75 min/wk, was associated with a gain of 1.8 years in life expectancy relative to no leisure time activity. Higher levels of physical activity were associated with greater gains in life expectancy, with a gain of 4.5 years at the highest level … equivalent to brisk walking for 450+ min/wk. Walking can be a high-intensity activity. Walking can also be an excellent entry into higher intensity training, regardless of your age and fitness level, as demonstrated by Japanese research showing a combination of gentle strolling and fast walking provides greater fitness benefits than walking at a steady pace. The walking program they developed for Japanese seniors consisted of repeated intervals of three minutes of fast walking followed by three minutes of slow strolling. Completing five sets of these intervals, totaling 30 minutes of walking, at least three times a week, led to significant improvements in aerobic fitness, leg strength and blood pressure. While many studies suggest distance is the No. 1 factor determining health benefits such as longevity, there's ample evidence showing intensity does play a role, and can boost benefits, at least to some degree. At bare minimum, higher intensity activities are more effective, timewise, allowing you to reap similar benefits as longer, slower workouts in a shorter amount of time. Everyone can benefit from standing and walking more each day. It's important to recognize that chronic sitting is an independent risk factor for chronic disease and early death, even if you exercise, and significantly raises your risk of several lethal conditions. As noted in a June 2018 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology: "Prolonged leisure-time sitting (over 6 vs. less than 3 hours per day) was associated with higher risk of mortality from all causes: cardiovascular, cancer, diabetes, kidney disease, suicide, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonitis, liver, peptic ulcer and other digestive disease, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, nervous disorders, and musculoskeletal disorders." While recent research refutes findings suggesting chronic sitting is right on par with smoking in terms of mortality risk, it's quite clear it's a significant (and modifiable) risk factor for chronic ill health and early death, just as smoking is. According to Dr. James Levine, codirector of Obesity Solutions at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix and Arizona State University, you need at least 10 minutes of movement for every hour you sit. Earlier findings presented at the EuroPRevent 2016 meeting, found that, compared to inactivity, getting just 15 minutes of physical activity per day was associated with a 22% lower risk of death in the elderly. Taking 10,000 to 15,000 steps a day is probably a good idea. According to research published in the journal Nature in 2017, American adults take on average 4,774 steps daily. The worldwide average was found to be 4,961 steps a day, based on data collected from accelerometry readings from 717,527 individuals' smartphones. Hong Kong residents came in on top, with an average of 6,880 steps a day. Considering the poor health of Americans, it seems this average step count simply isn't cutting it. If it did, it should somehow be reflected in other disease and obesity statistics. So, while there may not be a scientific basis for the 10,000 to 15,000 step-a-day recommendation, I believe it's still a good one. A 2004 study assessing physical activity levels and health outcomes in an Amish community found men took an average of 18,425 steps per day and women an average 14,196 steps. Interestingly, 25% of the men and 27% of the women were still overweight, and 9% of the women were obese, showing physical activity is not a foolproof way to ensure a healthy weight. As a general rule, I recommend limiting your sitting to less than three hours a day, and to make it a point to walk more every day. I also recommend walking in addition to any other fitness routine you may have. And, while seniors may benefit from as little as 4,400 steps, as demonstrated in the featured JAMA Internal Medicine study, chances are younger individuals need far more. **Do you often skip a much-needed workout session because there’s not enough time to squeeze it in your busy schedule? This is one of the many excuses people come up with when they fail to get enough exercise — but don’t let it deter you from achieving your fitness goals. Source: women’s health / mercola, 7/12/19.