Surely you have heard that, to have a healthy life, it is necessary to walk 10 thousand steps a day. But not quite.
This popular maxim took shape after the 1964 Olympics, held in the city of Tokyo, Japan. At that time, the marketing campaign for a pedometer was linked to the sporting event, which is broadcast worldwide. Since then, people have believed that it is necessary to walk 10,000 steps a day.
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Recently, a study carried out by the University of Granada, in Spain, disproved this marketing thesis.
According to research, walking between 7 and 8 thousand steps per day is enough to maintain good blood circulation, stimulate muscles and promote mental health.
The author of the study, professor Francisco B. Ortega, explained the relationship between 1964 propaganda and scientific reality.
“Traditionally, many people thought it was necessary to achieve around 10,000 steps per day to achieve health benefits – an idea that emerged in Japan in the 1960s but had no basis in science,” he stated.
Ortega also stated that there is no exact number of steps needed per day, just recommendations.
“We showed for the first time that the more steps you take, the better, and that there is no set number of steps that should be taken,” he said.
(Image: disclosure)
Professor Francisco Ortega and his team reviewed 12 international studies, which, together, covered 110,000 people. With this, they arrived at the results that were recently released.
Still according to Ortega, in addition to the number of 7 or 8 thousand steps initially indicated, the study proved that any increase in the daily practice of physical exercises, no matter how small, is already shown to be beneficial for health.
“In this study, we show that measurable benefits can be obtained from small increases in the number of steps per day and that, for people with low levels of physical activity, every additional 500 steps improves their health”, states.
“This is good news, as not everyone can walk nearly 7, 8 or 9 thousand steps a day, at least not at first. Therefore, you can start with small objectives, setting achievable goals and gradually progress and increase the number of daily steps”, adds the researcher.
(Image: disclosure)
In addition to the steps themselves, the study conducted by Francisco B. Ortega proves that walking faster, or even taking short sprints, is a major factor in reducing the risk of premature death.
Additionally, a another study similar states that maintaining a routine of 4,000 steps per day, which represents half the ideal goal, is effective in prevention of diseases such as hepatic steatosis (fatty liver), hypertension, diabetes and other diseases arising from the sedentary lifestyle.
This other study, conducted by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, USA, and the Medical University from Lodz, Poland, states that with every additional 1,000 daily steps, the risk of premature death is reduced by 15%.
On the other hand, for every 500 additional steps, you have a 7% lower chance of dying from a heart attack or stroke. But, of course, these data refer to a daily and constant practice.
In parallel to the study carried out in Spain and the other sample cited, government health authorities British, in partnership with the Royal College, issued an important statement to the population of the Kingdom United.
According to document published in 2018, maintaining 150 minutes (about 2h30) of walking a week, or even taking brisk 10-minute walks a day, can change a person's quality of life.
“The additional health benefits that can be achieved by walking at a brisk pace for periods of 10 minutes or more – rather than totaling a certain number of steps throughout the day – are undeniable,” said Sir Muir Gray, an expert who corroborated the government recommendation in era.
