Why 10,000 Steps a Day?

“I have to get my steps in.” 

Chances are you’ve heard this before (and maybe said it yourself), but do you understand the benefits of this fitness trend? 

In an age where we have access to an enormous variety of fitness trackers and fancy workout classes, one health tactic has stayed simple: walking. Of course, it is a pretty basic exercise, but walking has some significant health benefits. Regular walking can help reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other conditions by helping manage your blood pressure, weight loss, blood sugar and cholesterol.¹²³ It can also bolster your immune system, keep your bones and joints healthy and boost your mental health.⁴⁵

So what’s this 10,000 steps business? 

Recent studies found a strong association between daily steps and a decline in certain health risks, with 10,000 steps as the sweet spot. For example, one study found that individuals taking approximately 10,000 steps per day seemed to have lower cancer, cardiovascular disease and mortality rates.⁶ Another study indicates that getting 10,000 steps can also help lower your risk of dementia.⁷ Though the speed and intensity in which you accomplish these steps factor in, aiming for a baseline of 10,000 steps a day is a great place to start.  

On top of the associated health benefits, it’s nice to have a goal. It’s far more motivating to see those numbers climb up (if you’re using a smartphone or activity tracker) while walking. 

Though you can stick to recommended lengths of time for your exercise routines, setting a 10,000-step goal provides you with much more flexibility. Whether you’re in the gym, heading to school or work, running errands, sightseeing, or walking the dog — they all count towards your goal. Ultimately, it is a fitness goal that can be accomplished alongside your everyday tasks. Happy stepping!

Curious about your heart health? Test your blood sugar, inflammation, triglycerides and cholesterol with imaware’s at-home Baseline Heart Health Test and see how walking can benefit you!

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Resources

1. Heart Foundation Walking. Benefits of walking. Accessed October 27, 2022. 
2. American Diabetes Association. The Benefits of Walking. Accessed October 27, 2022. 
3. American Heart Association. Prevention and Treatment of High Cholesterol. Accessed October 27, 2022. 
4. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. Immune response to a 30-minute walk. Accessed October 27, 2022.
5. The Primary Care Companion to The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. Exercise for Mental Health. Accessed October 27, 2022.
6. JAMA Internal Medicine. Prospective Associations of Daily Step Counts and Intensity with Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence and Mortality and All-Cause Mortality. Accessed October 27, 2022. 
7. JAMA Neurology. Association of Daily Step Count and Intensity with Incident Dementia in 78430 Adults Living in the UK. Accessed October 27, 2022.