Every step counts for your health – but it doesn’t have to be 10,000 of them a day. This is the result of a recent study. But what has to be: movement, as a doctor explains.
“I still have to walk 3,000 steps today”: There are people who look at the app or the pedometer several times a day to check how far away they are from the magical value of 10,000 steps.
10,000 sounds a lot: an average person needs between 80 and 150 minutes for this, you have to manage that in everyday life. do you have to? Exactly not. A new study – published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology – confirms what many suspected or hoped: less is enough, namely around 4000 steps a day, to reduce the general risk of death. The risk of cardiovascular disease even decreases with just under 2400 steps per day.
10,000 steps are from a Japanese advertising campaign
Prof. Christine Joisten, Head of the Department of Physical Activity and Health Promotion at the Cologne Sports University, answers the most important questions in an interview with the German Press Agency (dpa):
Are the 10,000 steps nonsense now?
“Not per se, because there are also analyzes that the goal of 10,000 steps is an important predictor (that is, a predictor variable) of success, in this case blood pressure and BMI reduction,” says Joisten.
However, the study shows that the so-called delta in particular, i.e. “that little bit more exercise, is already beneficial to health”. And: “It’s true that the 10,000 steps come from a Japanese advertising campaign.” And that’s for a pedometer.
Why should you exercise regularly at all?
“In general, exercise in everyday life, at work and in leisure time, contributes to the prevention of civilization diseases and non-communicable diseases,” says Joisten.
These included cancer, cardiovascular diseases including risk factors such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Exercise also prevents orthopaedic, rheumatological and mental illnesses. “This has a similar effect on chronically ill patients and above all contributes to the quality of life,” explains the doctor.
Are there other types of exercise that can keep me healthy in everyday life or support my fitness?
The basic rule is: “Any form of exercise is good, adapted to the individual state of health,” says Joisten. She recommends dancing, resistance training with elastic bands or light weights, yoga, or gardening.
How can you get enough exercise with a sedentary job, for example in the office or home office?
The answer is simple: by moving in the first place. Experts recommend changing positions at least once an hour and doing small exercises, such as squats or using water bottles as dumbbells. A no-brainer: take the stairs instead of the elevator.
“But if the goals are not achieved, some people are frustrated”
Do trackers and apps actually make sense?
“I personally think a lot of it because movement is made visible,” says Christine Joisten. This makes them very helpful in terms of motivation. “However, if the goals are not achieved, some people are also frustrated.” Here, too, it is the small steps: “Especially small increases of 500 to 1000 steps more a day, that is 5 to 10 minutes, can be noticed well.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous cardio activity per week for adults between the ages of 18 and 64, plus strength training for all major muscle groups at least twice per week. The same recommendations apply to older adults aged 65 and over, supplemented with exercises to improve balance and coordination.
The fact that 10,000 steps a day are good for your health first came up in 1964 when a Japanese company launched a pedometer and accompanied the launch with a marketing campaign based around this value. It wasn’t scientifically sound, but it’s not wrong either. Because even if fewer steps are enough: there is still more to do.
Additional source: European Journal of Preventive Cardiology
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