What research tells us about how many steps to walk - and what not to do
Many of us believe we should walk 10,000 steps a day to stay fit and healthy. But there was originally no research basis for this. (According to the BBC’s Claudia Hammond the 10k target dates back only to a marketing campaign at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964).
Now new research has begun to work out how far we should walk each day to improve our health. It seems as few as 2337 steps a day can cut the risk of dying from cardiovascular diseases.
Going up to 4000 a day can reduce our risk of dying from any cause, not just heart-related ones. In general, upping daily steps seems to be better for our health.
For younger people, it's best to aim for 7,000 to 13,000 steps daily. For those over 60, the ideal range is 6,000 to 10,000 steps.
Tracking steps too much reduces our happiness
But these kind of daily targets can also be a problem. In Alexander Technique, if we concentrate only on our objectives, it can actually harm our posture by making us tense up and stiffen. It's better to focus on the way we walk rather than the distance.
Step goals have another drawback. They seem to affect how much we enjoy walking. A 2015 study showed that tracking steps increases the number we do - but we enjoy it less. Because it feels more like work we feel less happy and satisfied.
Don't text and walk at the same time
Finally another recent study shows the dangers of texting while walking. The study used healthy young students who had no previous problems in walking. It showed that texting and walking at the same time affected:
stability in walking
postural balance
accuracy of texting
Participants were more likely to fall over (and also couldn't text as easily) The reason seems to be that dividing attention between two tasks affected performance in both.
This is not surprising. To walk easily and in balance it's important to use the eyes to look out (not down). This improves your sense of where you are in space. It also activates the postural system and keeps you more balanced and stable.
So in summary:
Look out not down
Don't text and walk at the same time
Don’t worry too much about counting steps...
...but do at least 2337
Enjoy your walk
It can be hard to take a leap and commit to something new like learning the Alexander Technique especially with someone you’ve not met before. To help you find out if it’s right for you I offer a FREE 30-minute Zoom consultation. You can talk me through your postural or other issues and we can discuss whether or how it could make a difference. There is no obligation to continue after the consultation.
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