How many steps a day should be taken? Everyone’s answer to the question is 10000 steps. Is this number correct? Let’s take a closer look at how many steps you should take daily.
Most of the time, I’m afraid of things that everyone knows and repeats correctly. Because if there is a mistake and everyone repeats the same mistake, it may be impossible to find the right one.
That is precisely why I want to touch upon the facts about the number of daily steps you have heard for years, but almost no one has questioned.
How many steps per day should I take in this article? I will refer to the scientific evidence of these answers.
How Many Steps a Day: Is the correct number 10000?
Everyone talks about the same number of steps. At least 10000 steps a day! Do you know that this number has a very strange source?
You know step meters. Pedometer with the coolest name. When the pedometers became famous in the 1960s, a Japanese-based firm dominated the local market.
This company was Manpo-kei. Manpo-kei did not know that it would affect the health sector closely while producing pedometer. Because in Japanese, manpo-kei meant 10000 step counters. So 10000 steps cliched into mind.
The number was catchy, a clear figure. He therefore stated a very reasonable level.
The story doesn’t stop there. Because without scientific data it was impossible to accept this number. Some studies have shown that taking 10,000 steps a day reduces high blood pressure and positively affects sugar tolerance.
As a result, with the current research, the limit of 10000 steps was envisaged.
Are these studies sufficient to prove to us that the number of steps to be taken is 10000?
No way!
Everyone has different exercise capacities. Cardiovascular fitness, body structure, disability and diseases are used to determine this capacity.
For example, we can assess a twenty-five year old and a sixty-five year old.
While the young person can easily exercise fast-paced and long-term, the elderly may not be able to exercise such a long exercise.
Another example. Moreover, this is not hypothetical information, it is completely real. Almost 75% of people with joint problems such as osteoarthritis cannot exceed the goal of 10000 steps per day.
As a result, everyone has different capacities and characteristics. So how many steps a day? It is quite wrong to answer 10000 questions for everyone.
How many steps should I take a day?
I now know that you want to see a more detailed study of the number of steps. Here is a list where you can determine how active you are by the number of steps you take.
Inactive / sedentary individuals take less than 5000 steps on average daily. This lifestyle increases the risk of serious chronic diseases and makes weight control difficult.
Less mobile individuals take an average of 5000 to 7500 steps daily. I think many people in our country belong to this group. Of course, being less active does not protect you against diseases.
The average number of daily steps of relatively mobile individuals varies between 7500 and 10000. In general, individuals who try to live healthy but cannot find time in daily life are included in this group.
Mobile individuals take between 10000 and 12500 steps per day, while very mobile individuals take 12500 steps or more per day.
We saw the list. But you still don’t know how many steps you have to take.
First of all, we have two groups.
The first group consists of young-middle aged (18-60) individuals who do not have any disease. Individuals in this group need to take a minimum of 8000 steps daily. A minimum of 3000 of the steps should be done as an exercise and should have a high tempo.
Here’s a trick. With 8000 paces in slow paced and 8000 paces in a fast-paced and exercise layout, it has very different utility profiles. In addition, slow-paced long-lasting exercises may be missing at some points.
For this reason, individuals should have a minimum of 8000 steps per day and at least 3000 of the steps taken in the form of paced and exercise.
The second group includes individuals who are elderly or have any disease. It is unreasonable to evaluate the individuals in the group with the number of steps because cardiovascular conditions or skeletal systems may not be appropriate to take adequate steps.
For this reason, I recommend that the individuals included in the second group do exercises for a minimum of 10 minutes per day to increase their heart rate as their body allows (walking, cycling, swimming or sitting).
Physician control is essential for individuals who are included in this group but who should not exercise (diseases such as heart failure).
The exercise limit I am talking about is valid for sick individuals who do not mind to exercise in terms of health.
How is the number of steps counted?
Now it’s easy to measure the number of steps. Smartphones or fitness trackers can do this task.
Of course, there are also step counters that you can put on your waist as a simpler method.
Which method is more accurate?
Research shows that the step counts that you put on your wrist are ineffective and inaccurate than the step counts you can put on your waist. Especially at low speeds .
In addition, the sleeve and smartphone connection with step counters are quite expensive.
As a result, if the only goal is to measure the number of steps you can put on your waist and cheaper step counters can be more effective. I know that the Ministry of Health has already sent steps to family medicine.
Therefore, it may make more sense for your pocket to ask your family doctor before taking the step counts.
How many steps per day: Summary
The number of daily steps is quite a topic that contains a lot of false information, and there is not a single right that applies to everyone. Therefore, you should know your personal characteristics and ask your physician for advice when determining the number of steps.
In general, we can create a summary of the number of daily steps as follows.
If you do not have a disease that prevents your movement and your age is appropriate, there should be a minimum of 8000 steps. At least 3000 of these 8000 steps should be brisk and speed up your heart rate.
If you have a disease that prevents your movement, exercise time should be used instead of the number of steps and this time should be minimum 10 minutes with appropriate exercises.
If you have a disease that prevents you from exercising, you should consult your physician.
As a result, your body decides how many steps you take a day. But taking action is in your hands and very simple changes can have great results in your life.
How many steps do you take? Don’t forget to share your average with me in comments.
