How many steps should you take in a day if you want to lead a healthier life? If you listen to the makers of FitBit, then that number is right around 10,000 steps a day. That’s a good benchmark to aim for, but new research suggests that it might not be the ideal threshold.
According to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, you should strive for 15,000 steps each and every day. For the study, researchers at the University of Warwick examined mail carriers and desk workers in Scotland. Researchers found that mail carriers who walked their routes spent about seven hours a day upright, walking roughly seven miles a day. On the flip side, desk workers at the post office spent about nine hours a day sitting.
Steps Per Day
After comparing the two groups, researchers found that mail carriers who tallied at least 15,000 steps were able to maintain a healthy weight, a trim waistline, a normal metabolism and a decreased risk of cardiac disease. On the flip side, workers in the office showed an increased risk for metabolic syndrome, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
15,000 steps probably seems like a lot to get throughout your busy day, and it’s important not to get discouraged if you don’t hit that mark. Study lead researcher Dr. William Tigbe said trying to break up the distance by finding time to squeeze in a couple 30-minute walks throughout the day can help. He said this is especially important for desk workers, as “our metabolism is not well-suited to sitting down all the time.”
The CDC recommends 150 minutes of aerobic activity a week in addition to weight training, but that’s a little on the low end, because that only equates to 30 minutes of aerobic walking a day, Instead, try to find time to get 45 minutes to an hour of aerobic walking in each day. If you’re on your feet for other activities throughout the day, odds are you’ll find that step counter easily gliding past 10,000 and up towards the 15,000 range.
Finally, don’t be discouraged if you can’t hit the 10,000 or 15,000 threshold every day. It may be impossible to each that mark day in and day out, but you’ll want to build up your distance so that you’re walking more as time goes on. If you’re averaging 6,000 steps a day this month, try to build that to 8,000 by next month. Keep building and working to improve your step counts, and you’ll be hitting 5-digit numbers in no time!