Walk for health, or how many steps are worth taking every day?

Walk for health, or how many steps are worth taking every day?

I'm sure you know the saying "movement is health". Daily physical activity brings a lot of benefits for both the body and the psyche - it can positively affect the efficiency of the cardiovascular system, strengthen the immune system, and have a positive effect on well-being. The easiest and most universal way to increase the level of physical activity is walking.

You can often hear a statement that 10 thousand steps every day is the minimum to maintain good condition, physical and mental health. How is it really? How many steps a day should we take to stay fit? Is a daily walk enough to enjoy full health?

What gives a walk? Advantages of moderate physical activity

An appropriate level of physical activity positively affects the functioning of the body, and also reduces the risk of developing many civilization diseases, such as diabetes, dementia, osteoporosis or atherosclerosis. According to the guidelines, the World Health Organization recommends that adults do moderate-intensity physical activity for 150-300 minutes per week or high-intensity exercise for 75-150 minutes. The WHO recommends aerobic training as well as regular exercise to strengthen all muscles at least twice a week, as these can promote additional health benefits.

Physical exertion contributes to the improvement of human health and scientists have no doubts about it. Regularly undertaken activity strengthens the muscles, as well as increases physical condition. In addition, it has a positive effect on joint mobility, heart function and body efficiency. Movement also has a beneficial effect on metabolism and the digestive system, as well as can improve the efficiency of the respiratory system and strengthen the body's immunity.

Walking in the air also has a positive effect on human mental health - they have a relaxing and calming effect. Walking relieves nervous tension and reduces stress, and thus improves mood and general well-being.

Although it would seem that to improve health and lose unnecessary kilograms, you should make intense strength efforts, nothing more wrong! Any physical activity aid to improving health, both physical and mental, which is why for people who care about good condition, and are not supporters of intense training, walking is a great solution, which will help them stay fit and in a good mood.

How many steps a day should take for health?

The benefits of sports and regular walking are hard to measure by numbers. However, scientists are making great efforts to estimate the value of the daily number of steps to be taken to maintain full health. In fact, according to a commonly repeated statement, which is only a concept created for marketing purposes, 10 thousand steps is a number that promotes good condition? Among seniors with limited mobility, 10 thousand steps a day may be too much of a challenge, while for people who do sport and train regularly - too undemanding goal. How many steps do you take per day for your health?

WHO recommends that healthy adults do 6 to 8 thousand steps every day, while people struggling with chronic diseases or disabilities - 3.5-5.5 thousand steps. The daily number of steps should be adjusted to the age of the exerciser - fewer steps should be taken by people over 70 than people before 50.

In turn, American scientific research suggests that already 3.6 thousand steps performed every day have a positive effect on the human body and can halve the risk of death.

According to scientific evidence, adults who are under 60 years old should take 8-10 thousand steps every day, while middle-aged people after 60 years of age - 6-8 thousand steps. Other data suggest that 4.5 thousand steps a day are enough to reduce the risk of premature death by more than 40%. Interestingly, this value increases with the increase in steps, but stabilizes at the level of 7.5 thousand steps.

It turns out that the right number of steps is really an individual matter, depending on the level of daily physical activity and human condition. Because any form of physical activity promotes the improvement of health parameters, taking more steps compared to the current level of movement, has a positive effect on health and physical condition.

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Walking and weight loss - how many steps a day to lose weight?

Regular physical activity improves health, well-being, as well as weight reduction. Because walking is also a physical effort, daily walks can have a beneficial effect on weight loss, contributing to the improvement of metabolism and the rate of fat burning. However, it is worth remembering that walking will not do anything if regular walks do not go hand in hand with an energy deficit and adequate hydration of the body.

How many steps a day to do for reduction? As in the case of the number of steps that can positively affect health, it is an individual matter - the more you increase the level of existing activity, the more benefits you can observe. However, it is worth paying attention not only to the amount, but also the length and intensity of the steps.

How many calories does a walk burn? How many steps need to take to lose 1 kg?

The process of weight reduction depends on gender, age and efficiency of the body. Profitably on the rate of fat burning can be influenced by a quick walk, a walk with poles, called nordic walking, or a march uphill. It is also worth considering the combination of walking with another form of physical exercise and, as we have already mentioned, should also pay attention to the appropriate caloric deficit.

One step allows burning 0.04 kcal. This is not much, but you should not be discouraged by this value. 10,000 steps allow losing 400-500 kcal, and this already sounds much better. This is more or less the energy of one meal. Performing for a week every day 10 thousand steps, you can burn 2800-3500 kcal, and this is quite a lot.

It is assumed that in order to burn 1 kg of body weight, you should lose about 7000 kcal. So, guided further by the rules of mathematics, to lose a kilogram of body weight, you need to perform 2 weeks 10 thousand steps, or for a week - 20 thousand. It may not sound too optimistic, but focus on the road, not the goal. Every day try to walk as much as possible, and satisfactory results will come unexpectedly. But also remember about a healthy and balanced diet! By taking up to 20 thousand steps every day, and eating fast-food dishes at the same time, you will not lose weight. So if you want to lose unnecessary kilograms, also pay attention to your daily menu.

How many steps a day - a woman on a walk

Steps and kilometers - 5000 steps, how many kilometers?

Are you wondering what distance you cover by taking a certain number of steps? Increasingly, such data can be found in a smartwatch, as well as in special pedometers and dedicated applications.

However, the specific value depends on the length of steps, which is why it is considered that women taking 5 thousand steps cover a distance of about 3 km, while men - 3.75 km. Thus, 10 thousand steps is 6 km for women and 7.5 km for men. In turn, to cover 1 km, it is enough to follow 1600 steps for women and 1300 steps for men.

What can do to walk more? How to motivate yourself to walk?

To walk more every day, it is enough to make small changes. How to motivate yourself to walk? How to walk more?

  • Choose stairs instead of lift - going to work or home, decide to take a walk up the stairs instead of an elevator ride,
  • Limit your use of car and public transport - if you don't work at the other end of the city, choose a walk to work instead of driving by car or by bus. When going for small shopping, also give up the car and walk,
  • Park far from the entrance - if you have to drive a car, park as far away from the entrance as possible. For example, when going to a shopping mall, leave the car at the end of the parking and go to the selected store,
  • Talking on the phone, walk - if at work you often talk on the phone, instead of spending this time behind a desk, start walking around the office or company corridor,
  • Start monitoring the number of steps - nothing motivates to act like numbers. Invest in a pedometer or download on your phone an application that makes appropriate measurements and be motivated by the values visible on the screen. Every day, try to break the record from the previous day or set yourself the number of steps you want to take every day and pursue your goal.

How to estimate the number of steps taken?

Walking has recently become very fashionable. Although research is still underway on the recommended number of steps that are worth taking every day, well-known people popularizing a healthy lifestyle are outdoing themselves in proposing newer and newer equipment that allows you to make reliable measurements.

A good way to motivate yourself to act and see how many steps you take per day is to download an application to your phone that monitors the number of steps you take, or invest in a pedometer or smartwatches or wristbands. These devices can help you develop a habit of walking every day, and they can also help you lose unnecessary kilograms by encouraging you to do regular activity.

However, observe that most devices for measuring the number of steps works on the principle of an accelerometer, recording not only steps, but also wrist movements. In turn, the application on the phone only makes a measurement if you have the equipment with you. Therefore, the results obtained after a whole day may be slightly false. Don't be discouraged by it! Treat the equipment as fun and an additional motivator, and take the steps every day for health, not for higher values on the watch screen. And remember that any physical activity is better than no physical activity!

Bibliography:

  1. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015128
  2. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2763292
  3. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2783711
  4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32563261/
  5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31095077/
  6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35428253/
Natalia Goździak

Natalia Goździak

Copywriter - nutritionist. Bachelor's degree in sports dietetics She graduated from the Academy of Physical Education in Poznan, while her master's degree in dietoprophylaxis and dietotherapy - from the University of Physical Education in Poznan. at UP in Poznań. However, she treats the principles of healthy eating primarily as valuable guidelines, rather than strict rules that must be strictly followed. Knowledge in the field of copywriting, on the other hand, she draws from courses and industry literature, but since the best way to learn is to practice. learning is practice, she spends many hours each day playing with words and creating new, unique content. content. Privately, she is passionate about photography and can't imagine life without books.

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