The holidays are around the corner, and most people can’t wait for the festivities to begin. However, we think that most people have forgotten half of their resolutions to live a healthier life a long time ago. One of the most set, and also most failed goals, is to reach a daily step count of 10.000. This is seen as one of the best ways to improve your health in a manageable way. However, research has shown that you can do with way fewer steps, which makes the goal a lot more reachable! Keep reading and discover what you should aim for next year!
Where did the 10.000 steps come from?
In the 1960s, the Olympic Games were held in Tokyo. In the run-up to the event, a new brand of pedometer was launched. They developed their product and named it manpo-kei, and if you translate this name to English, it means 10.000 step meter. This is where the idea of 10.000 steps came from, and the fitness world has used it ever since.
Why is 7.000 a better amount?
So it basically means that the 10.000 number is a marketing stunt gone wild. However, now we can tell you why aiming for 7.000 steps is much better. For the study, the researchers looked at data and research on the health and activity of other adults. In total, the data of over 150.000 people around the world was analysed. However, the results of specific diseases could be different as the information was taken from multiple smaller studies.
The results show that people who walked 7.000 steps a day had a reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases of 25%. However, 7000 steps is not just beneficial for your cardiac health. The study showed that cancer were 5% lower, and other conditions like dementia and depression were nearly 40% and 25% lower compared to others. In the study, the health and activity of the people who set 7000 steps was compared with the people who set an average of 2000 steps.
However, the researchers point out that increasing your step count from 2000 to 4000 steps, could already have significant impacts on your long term health.
Image credit: Pexels