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One of the biggest steps forward for health is also one of the simplest ones — daily walking. It is an inexpensive form of exercise, as all you need is a pair of walking shoes.

Walking is a good starting point for sedentary individuals to gradually increase in physical activity. Not only is it suitable for all age groups and fitness levels, it is convenient and accessible to everyone.

There has been a substantial rise in the number of patients who have developed multiple, long-term conditions in recent years, and many of these, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease, are linked to not being active enough.

In the 1960s, a researcher in Japan discovered that most people took less than 4,000 steps per day. He found that increasing those steps to 10,000 could improve overall health. The theory was based on research that proved men who burned at least 2,000 calories weekly through exercise had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. This translates into burning about 300 calories daily, which usually can be accomplished by walking 10,000 steps.

Exercise becomes much more important once we hit our mid-forties, because it's when our risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes significantly increases. Unfortunately, it's this age group who are the most sedentary.

Walking 10,000 steps a day is not an official recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Instead, the agency recommends adults engage in 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, such as brisk walking. To meet the CDC's recommendation, you need to walk about 7,000 to 8,000 steps a day. The idea is to make daily physical activity a habit and part of your lifestyle.

Benefits of Walking

A survey looking at people’s perceptions of physical activity found that many adults struggle to fit in exercise. Not having enough time (31%) was the main reason cited, followed by not feeling motivated (27%) and being too tired (25%)

A study in 2010 found that after eight months of trying to walk 10,000 steps a day, 67% of participants reported an increase in fitness and energy levels. Many also lost weight and reduced their blood pressure.

Walking as a regular activity can help reduce your risk of these common health problems :

Heart diseaseObesityDiabetesHigh blood pressureDepression

Studies prove reaching the 10,000-step goal is well worth it. Study participants who met or exceeded this goal tended to have:

Lower blood pressureBetter cardiovascular fitnessLower blood glucose levelsDecreased risk of diabetesHealthier weight

Walking, like dancing, cycling, jogging, swimming and playing basketball, is an aerobic activity that makes you breathe harder and your heart beat faster. As a result, it will increase heart and lung, or cardiorespiratory fitness.

Some Activity Is Better Than No Activity

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking. But you don't have to jump straight into the 150-minute goal. Start where you are and gradually increase your activity week by week.

Those 150 minutes a week can be divided in many different ways. Some people aim for 30 minutes of exercise five days a week. Others fit in 10 minutes of exercise several times a day.

What matters is being able to sustain it long-term, then build on that towards 10,000 steps and try to increase the intensity.

The Mayo Clinic recommends that people using pedometers first set short-term goals, such as taking an extra 1,000 steps daily for one week, and then build up to a long-term goal such as 10,000 steps. There's not a single strategy to increase your step count, each person has to find what works for them. The most important thing is to increase your activity beyond what you were doing before.

If your walking pace isn't speedy enough to qualify as moderate-intensity exercise, those steps still help prevent the problems that can occur from sitting too much during the day. Adding any regular activity to your routine is beneficial.

How far will you go today? Your goal will depend on your starting point. But nearly everyone can reap the benefits of walking more, step by step. If you're not moving enough, start now and start small.

Remember, something is better than nothing, so build gradually and make it consistent.

References

Fittness and Wellness News. The 10,000-Step Goal: Help or Hype?. September 18th, 2018

GOV.Uk.Focus on brisk walking, not just 10,000 steps, say health experts. June, 2018

Health Hub. How Your Step Count Is Important To Your Health. July 2018

Rettner R. The Truth About '10,000 Steps' a Day. LiveScience. March 7, 2014.

Rieck T. 10,000 steps a day: Too low? Too high?. Mayo Clinic. March 16, 2018

White C. Is 10,000 steps a day enough to keep you healthy?. Health. May 17, 2018