How many steps per day to lose weight?
The benefits of walking
The risks of an inactive and sedentary lifestyle are bad for your health. Scientists recommend regular moderate- or intensive-intensityphysical activityof about30 minutes a day. And walking is probably one of the easiest physical activities to implement, but also one of the most effective.
Walking frees your mind and reduces the likelihood of suffering from cardiovascular problems. Indeed, a daily 30-minute walk will stimulate yourbrainand improve yourcardiorespiratory endurance, that is, the increase in your lung resistance. Walking eliminates the risk of breast cancer and colon cancer.
Finally, you can walk to lose weight. But above all, it can be useful to know the ideal number of steps to take in a day.
Walking 10,000 steps a day: where does this idea come from?
With the boom of connected watches and the return of pedometers, many gadgets and applications now offer you to count the number of your steps per day to lose weight, and to tell you the number of calories burned. Most of these connected objects are thus set to a target of 10,000 steps per day.
But where does this figure of 10,000 come from?
By far in fact. As a prelude to the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo, the Japanese at the time, invented a pedometer called manpo-kei which translates as “measure of 10,000 steps”. The advertising campaign around this gadget focused on the benefits of walking 10,000 steps a day. Since then, this number of steps has become a record for steps to be achieved all over the world.
10,000 steps per day is equivalent on average to7.5 kilometers per day, from the first step from waking up to bedtime. The NHS, which is the public health system of the United Kingdom, and the CDC, which represents its American equivalent, have set a milestone of 10,000 steps at a benchmark of 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week or 75 minutes of high-intensity physical activity.
What are the health benefits of these 10,000 steps?
Objective monitoring of our physical performance using Pedometersgoldaccelerometersoffers a valuable opportunity to measure physical activity in number of steps per day. Based on stages and guidelines, this new sporting trend has captured the interest of the public by its effectiveness.
According to an American study, it is recommended to take between 7,000 and 8,000 steps a day to stay in excellent shape (1). But in the case of steps per day to lose weight (a weight loss goal) achieving at least 10,000 steps per day over an extended period of time would be ideal for achieving your goals. That is between 30 and 60 minutes of physical activity.
Another scientific study was conducted by the Department of Physiotherapy of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Thailand on the subject (2). It concerns the effects of 10,000 steps per day on the physical and mental health of a number of overweight participants.
This study demonstrated that an accumulation of these 10,000 steps per day led to a significant reduction in the negative effects of obesity on the mood and physical health of the volunteerstag. Likewise, significant improvements are noted in the vigor and the determination of the subjects to continue walking to lose weight.
At high frequency, this walking forces the metabolism to burn calories and convert carbohydrates, proteins and fats into energy rather than fat reserves. Itactivates blood circulation and helps fight cholesteroltag. Maintaining this rhythm is a key factor in optimizing your heart rate and reducing the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease and preventing diabetes by 60 to 70%.
Ok, but should we really take this goal of 10,000 steps literally? What is it really ?
Number of steps per day to lose weight: what is it for?
All over the world, public health organizations give recommendations in terms of physical activity. For this, they indicate the standards necessary to be in good health. These recommendations are generally given in terms of frequency, duration and intensity of physical activity. Plus, they’re backed by decades of scientific research (3).
Observations show that there is a close correlation between the cadence and the intensity of the steps: 100 steps per minute represent an indicative value for walking at moderate intensity.
In other words, if you want to lose weight, the intensity and pace of your physical activity will play a significant role in your weight losstag. You will burn more or fewer calories depending on how fast you walk. It is considered that from 120 steps per minute, walking is said to be intensive.
To increase your number of steps per day to lose weight:
- prefer the steps rather than the elevators,
- for small errands, go there on foot or by bike rather than by car,
- park your car further from your office or get off a bus or metro stop earlier
- go for a 5-10 min walk during your lunch break
- take a short walk in the evening after dinner
It is also useful to monitor your eating habits and the number of calories you eat. Indeed, this will allow you to achieve your goals of losing excess pounds. So remember to eat fruits and vegetables, proteins and good fats every day. Finally, don’t forget to drink plenty of water.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.