Walking - the most natural thing. We walk from one room to the next, up and down aisles in the supermarket, to the car, from the car. We humans are the only animals that walk upright on two legs as our way of getting around.
And there’s a way to do it right, if your goal is better health.
Let’s start with the fitness mantra, 10,000 steps a day, that had people snapping up fitbits and apple watches. It’s pretty arbitrary. That number, which amounts to roughly 5 miles, came about soon after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, when a Japanese clock company capitalized on Japan’s rising interest in fitness, and released a pedometer named manpo-kei, that’s Japanese for 10,000 steps. Nice name. But there was no public health guideline, or any science behind that number.
What do we know now about 10,000 steps? You don’t need that many. A systematic review of 57 studies, published in Lancet Public Health earlier this year, found that while health benefits do increase the more you walk, they start to plateau at around 7000 steps, or 3 ½ miles. Those who achieved their 7,000 steps had a significantly reduced risk of premature death and reaped other benefits such as lower risk of dementia, type 2 diabetes, and dying from cancer.
But, what kind of walking is the best. Is every step the same? Does it matter how you accumulate them? Another major study out this year in the Annals of International Medicine found that longer walks of at least 10 to 15 minutes each - comfortable, and at a steady pace– compared to lots of shorter stints of five minutes or less - dramatically cut the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and death.
If you’re older, you might want to go the extra mile. Research from a few years back suggests that ironically, for you, a faster pace, compared to a slow, considered one, may actually protect against falls because it keeps your gait more symmetric, smoother and more stable overall. This isn’t for tricky terrains, of course, so within reason, please.
We’re talking here about some impressive gains from something that’s such a basic part of life. No one is asking you to climb the Himalayas or run a marathon.
Experts agree that any amount of walking has health benefits, especially for the roughly 1 in 4 Americans who are considered inactive. So absolutely, get up from your computer and start pacing about whenever you can.
If you are already up to manpo-kei and walk 10,000 steps a day, no harm there - keep up the good work. For everyone else, aim for a more manageable 7,000 steps. Find a way to make your walks a little longer. Rearrange your errands so that the one that’s furthest away is the first on your list. If you drive a lot, try to park a good walk from your destination. Find reasons to leave your home or office and walk somewhere that fills up time, like visiting a neighbor or simply getting out to smell the roses.
What will surely make it easier: go out and get yourself a pair of comfy shoes, preferably at a shoe store that’s a 15 minute walk away.