Posted on February 17, 2016 by Jenny Cromack
So, I’ve been suckered in and I’ve bought a ‘wearable’ technology watch which counts my steps, analyzes my sleep and I can also use it to record my nutrition and training. Quite a lot of my personal training clients are now wearing wearable technology, and I will be honest that I’m a bit sceptical about how accurate they are, BUT, I was interested to find out whether, as a Personal Trainer, I hit the recommended 10,000 steps.
Apart from Sunday’s, I train every day , sometimes twice a day, so I would hope that I would hit 10,000 steps but although I’m an active person in an active job there are still days, especially as a business owner, where I spend a lot of time sat behind a laptop. So I’m interested to find out whether, if you discounted my exercise levels, I would still hit 10,000 steps.
I was chatting about this to one of my personal training clients and she asked me what the significance of 10,000 steps was, and to be honest I wasn’t sure…..it’s just one of the those things we all have been recommended to walk each day but why 10,000 steps? What is the significance?
Did you know the 10,000 steps targets originated in Japan in the 1960’s? Pedometers sold in Japan in the 1960s were cleverly marketed as “manpo-kei,” which translates to “10,000 steps meter. Japanese researchers found that the average person took between 3,000-5,000 steps per day and if they increased this to 10,000 per day the researchers believed this would lead to a healthier, slimmer nation. From there 10,000 steps has been adopted as the daily milestone for many countries, but why 10,000 steps?
Why 10,000 steps per day?
– 10,00 steps is the equivalent of around 5 miles for most people (this may sound like a lot but revert back to the days when we walked every where rather than drove or used public transport and we will have smashed 10,000 steps in no time).
– The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommend 10,000 steps to reduce the risk of disease and improve general health.
– 10,000 steps is seen to be a realistic target for all, but is it? If you wear a pedometer or wearable technology and work in a sedentary job then I bet there are some days you will struggle.
– Giving people a daily step target encourages them to be active when they might likely just sit at a desk all day without having to think they have to ‘hit the gym’ or ‘get out for a run’. 10,000 steps should be easy to fit into people’s daily routines and may encourage them to walk somewhere than drive.
– One study found women who hit 10,000 steps per day reduced their blood pressure after 24 weeks.
– Another study of overweight women found they lowered their blood glucose levels when walking 10,000 steps per day lowering risk of disease such as diabetes.
– Research indicates that those who hit 10,000 steps have lower body fat levels than less active people (however, it’s important to remember that 10,000 steps could be achieved through participants going to the gym, going out for a run, i.e just been more active in general rather than just going walking)
Are there any downsides to 10,000 steps per day
– Is 10,000 steps achievable for older adults or those with chronic disease? What should these populations be doing instead?
– 10,000 steps is far too low for children they should be very active throughout the day. As childhood obesity is on the rise, it is suggested by some researchers that children should aim for more than this.
– Research in 2008, found that 10,000 steps was not a sufficient tool to be used for weight loss or weight control in females and males aged up to 50 years old. The recommended amounts were:
Women
- 18-40 years = 12,000 steps per day
- 40-50 years = 11,000
- 50-60 years = 10,000
- 60+ years = 8,000
Men
- 18-50 years = 12,000 steps per day
- 50+ years = 11, 000
– If you’re already active is 10,000 steps challenging? Is it a life-changing or health-changing amount to be working towards? I’d argue not. As you’re already active it’s likely you need a more intense stimulus to reap further rewards, however you could also argue that as you’re already active you are already reaping the health benefits that a sedentary person (and possible the target market for 10,000 steps) would receive if they were to hit 10,000 steps per day.
In summary, I think the use of pedometers and wearable technology is a great way to encourage more people to get up and be active, especially if they have a sedentary job. If you’re competitive with yourself or others they can be a great way to encourage you to become more active. I have a personal training client who has routes near her home worth ‘x’ steps so if she hasn’t hit her target she chooses which route will get her to target!
However, I am not sure 10,000 steps is a one-glove fits all, like everything in life, your target number of steps should be tailored to you and your lifestyle so the target number continues to be something which motivates you.
If you’re not very active then aiming for 10,000 steps is an achievable way for you to focus on improving your health and activity levels but if you’re already active then you may need to look at increasing this amount.