How many steps should I be doing every day?

A study published in 2019 by JAMA Internal Medicine found that you may be able to reap health benefits by doing fewer steps than you think. 

Researchers found that in older women with an average age of 72 years, taking as few as 4,400 steps per day was associated with a 41% lower risk of mortality during the study period when compared with women who walked 2,500 steps a day or fewer. In addition, it didn't seem to matter if the women took those steps power walking or just moving around the house.

For those men and women who are younger, researchers are not discounting the 10,000 number. It is a healthy target to aim for daily!

How to get more steps out of your day!

1. Frequent standing breaks. Working from the office or home means that we can often get glued to the chair. Encourage yourself to move every 30 minutes to clock up incidental steps.

2. The commute to work or school. Get off the bus 1 stop early or park your car further away from your destination.

3. Incidental exercise: Can be walking or throwing the ball to the dog, playing with the grandchildren or working in the garden.

Putting the research into action!

Research suggests that the number of steps per day does have a direct correlation with mortality rates in older adults. Yet, these steps can come from little things like incidental exercise around the house or work!

Making a conscious effort to move more frequently during the day will contribute to increasing your average step count.

Challenge yourself to use one of the 3 tips above this week and make it a regular habit for future!

If you have any questions or want to improve your overall health, don’t hesitate to make an appointment with one of our coaches!

Poppy Taylor Physiotherapist and Coach at PEAK

Book an appointment with Poppy HERE