How Many Steps a Day Really Make a Difference?
Just how many steps do we have to take before we can be confident, we are improving our health? A number often mentioned in the press is 10,000 steps a day. This equates as roughly five miles, or eight kilometres.
A paper published by Amanda Paluch et al in September 2021 followed 2110 black and white men and women, aged 38-50 years, over 10 years. The aim was to estimate the association of steps per day with premature all-cause mortality among black and white men and women.
Their daily steps were monitored by an accelerometer and classified as:
Low – less than 7000 steps per day
Moderate – 7000 to 9999 steps per day
High – 10000+ steps per day
The study concluded among black and white men and women in middle adulthood who took approximately 7000 steps per day or more, had a lower mortality rate than those taking less than 7000 steps per day.
So, the next time you treat a patient, and they walk out saying something like ’Oh, I’m walking on air’, be confident that you are having a direct and beneficial effect on their longevity as well as their immediate comfort.