Walking 10,000 meters every day will be the key to a healthier life. Preconception or scientific fact? Studies exist.
One of your back-to-school resolutions might be: Walk 10,000 steps every day to be healthy. This goal is often hinted at, including by the World Health Organization (WHO) in a 2008 guideline that has since been deleted. In fact, this path was not imagined by scientists.
“These 10,000 steps date back to the Olympic Games in Japan in 1965. A pedometer manufacturer came up with the idea to give this daily number as a reference. This has been addressed very regularly, including by the World Health Organization,” concludes Dr. . Alain Ducardonnet, Health Consultant at BFMTV.
Since these Olympics, many experts have researched this doctrine. a Study published by Harvard Medical School In May 2019 he sets a different course. The researchers noted the relationship between mortality and step count. For this purpose, they followed 16,741 healthy American women, who were 72 years old on average. Study result:
“As you increase the number of steps per day, the death rates gradually decrease before stabilizing at around 7,500 steps per day.”
“invigorating walking on the brink of shortness of breath”
at recent days, A meta-analysis combining data from 15 studies led to a slightly different goal. The assumption is the same, daily activity is associated with a “progressively reduced risk of all-cause mortality”. The benefits are multiple, both for the cardiovascular system and mental health.
But the analysis leads to another stake. Thus, it will be necessary to swing between 8,000 and 10,000 steps per day before the age of 60, and between 6,000 and 8,000 steps after this age. More effort would not have resulted in additional long-term effects.
The intensity of this walk must also be taken into account. “You have to do invigorating walking, and you’re on the verge of becoming short of breath,” says Dr. Ducardonnet.
Whether it’s walking or more vigorous physical activity, the French don’t move enough. As warned by the National Agency for Health Security (ANSES) in 2022, “95% of the adult population is at risk of deteriorating health due to lack of physical activity or spending too much time sitting”.
To make it easier to monitor their walking or physical activity, there are technological solutions. Connected watches or smartphone apps can be used to monitor sports practice in real time throughout the day.
