Number of steps you should walk every day

How many of us think that hitting the mark of 10,000 on our fitness band is enough to maintain our health? Well, most of us.

The concept of walking 10,000 steps per day originated when a Japanese company developed a pedometer called ‘Manpo-kei’, which means ‘10,000 steps meter’. The idea was inspired by marketing and not science, which raises the question that if it is ideal to walk 10,000 steps per day to maintain our fitness? Well, a new study reveals you need to walk 4400 steps daily to live longer. Let’s deep dive into the concept.

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As per experts, one should count their running in terms of minutes and not kilometres. It might sound simple but it’s a total shift in the way you train yourself. For example, if you focus on running for 45 minutes, you will have a long and fruitful workout as compared to when you will simply focus on walking exactly five kilometres. The focus should be on the time on feet and not on the pace and distance, say experts.

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As per a 2018 study published in the journal Scientific Reports, the same thinking should be applied to walking, which debunks the popular idea of walking 10,000 steps per day.

Contrary to popular notion, walking 10,000 steps per day is not an ideal benchmark and neither an accurate indicator of physical health, say experts.

As per the study conducted by Harvard University-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital and published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, you only need to take 4,400 steps a day to significantly lower your risk of death. The risk of death continued to decrease with the increase in the number of steps but levelled off at around 7,500 steps per day. What is even important is that you are supplementing your walks with more intense bouts of exercise.

Along with the walk, exercising for at least 20 minutes every day should be the goal to stay healthy and fit.

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As per a new report published by The Wall Street Journal, to maximize the health benefits, you should focus on the time you are walking outside rather than the steps and the distance you cover. Moreover, spending time with nature has been linked to lower blood pressure, heart rate and stress hormones. It also helps manage anxiety, depression and fatigue.

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So, next time when you walk for your exercise, focus on spending more time walking and less on the number of steps you are taking. To reap more benefits, add 20 minutes of intense exercise to the walking routine.

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