It is not necessary to take 10 thousand steps a day, even less walking is enough to obtain a series of health benefits
Walking is a pleasant and healthy activity that we should do every day to maintain our psycho-physical health. But is it really necessary to get to the famous 10 thousand steps?
Many people don't move enough and lead sedentary lives. This is a big mistake, as a lot of scientific research over the past few years has highlighted the many health benefits of walking ranging from weight loss to mood improvements to preventing certain diseases.
The human body is "designed" to move but how many steps a day should we take?
A German sports scientist, Ingo Froböse (and he is not the only one), dispels the myth of 10 thousand steps, studies in hand. Interviewed by the journal Oko-test, the expert highlighted a number of benefits of walking including the fact that, generally, people who walk regularly have lower cholesterol levels.
But the benefits don't stop there: walking daily strengthens muscles, reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and many other chronic diseases, strengthens the immune system and also improves night sleep. To have all these benefits, however, it is necessary walking at a fast pace.
But we come to the surprise: many people consider 10 thousand steps a day to be the ideal goal for staying healthy. In reality, explains the German fitness expert, there is no scientific study behind the alleged formula but, just think, it all comes from a publicity stunt.
In 1964, at the time of the Olympic Games, the Japanese company Yamasa launched the first pedometer on the market and advertised it with the "magic" number of 10 thousand steps, believing that this was an indicative number of an active and therefore healthy lifestyle. . However, this number has never been scientifically proven.
And as the World Health Organization, the American Heart Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services have gradually adopted the 10 Steps as a recommendation on physical activity to do daily, the veracity of this number in recent years has been questioned several times
In fact, there are several studies that have shown that even a lower number of steps per day is sufficient to obtain beneficial effects.
Read also: You don't need 10 thousand steps a day: a quick 10-minute walk is enough, science says
How far should we walk
Froböse advocates a different approach: instead of aiming for 10 steps a day which for many of us, at least on a daily basis, are indeed feasible, everyone should simply aim for 3 thousand additional steps per day.
The health benefits of walking "3 thousand more steps a day" were revealed in a study by the Center for Health (ZfG) of the German Sport University in Cologne. According to the research, 3 thousand more steps a day significantly lower the cholesterol level.
Of course, if we walk more, perhaps even reaching 10 thousand steps, it is all good. However, we should not be obsessed with achieving this goal, as there is no evidence that it is strictly necessary to stay healthy.
The German expert also provides some useful tips to improve our relationship with walks and walks, making them more profitable. First of all it is important not to overdo it but to start slowly. A pedometer (also available as a mobile app) is a good help in keeping track of how far you walk.
Small tricks to walk more often during the day are:
- Leave the car for a short distance and continue on foot.
- Do not drive to the supermarket but if possible, walk to the shops in your neighborhood if possible
- Meet with friends and relatives outside and take a walk with the opportunity
- Take the stairs instead of taking the elevator
- Listening to music makes a walk more enjoyable and less tiring
- Take advantage of the lunch break to walk
Most people, Froböse argues, walk too slowly but:
“Walking slowly is always better than sitting down. Even so, we fill up with light and oxygen, stimulate and activate the immune system and blood circulation ".
However, the ideal would be to walk at such a speed as to "feel a slight increase in breathing rate and an increase in heart rate".
It is also very important to breathe correctly while walking: inhale in four phases, then exhale in four phases. This breathing rate should be practiced for at least 80% of the distance.
Fonti: Oko-Test / Center for Health (ZfG)/ The Guardian
Read also:
- Walking: for it to be really good you have to take 100 steps per minute
