Lengthening Your Life One Step at a Time
My dad, who is 70 years old, always has told me to never stop moving. His side of the family is very active and many have lived long, healthy lives. As a kid, he always took me and my brother on long walks, hikes, and runs. When I went to school for exercise physiology I was able to learn why being active makes such a big difference in our health and lowering our risk for serious conditions.
It’s not new advice to get moving and spend less time being sedentary.
A goal of 10,000 steps per day is broadly promoted. A recent U.S. government study shows how much we can gain by increasing our steps. The study reveals great benefits from walking about 8,000 steps per day. Additionally, there’s added benefits by taking more steps. Therefore, I think 10,000 is still a good step goal to have.
The study found a clear pattern: The more steps people took each day, the less likely they were to die within the next 10 years.
Individuals who reached at least 8,000 steps a day were one-half to two-thirds less likely to die, compared to less-active people. Within the group that averaged fewer than 4,000 steps a day, there were about 77 deaths per 1,000 people each year. For those that walked between 4,000-8,000 steps, there were 21 deaths per 1,000 people. And among individuals who got at least 8,000 steps into their day, there were only 5 to 7 deaths per 1,000 people each year. The death rates from both heart disease and cancer were reduced.
Here are some tips to increase your daily steps:
- Try to go on a daily walk or run – *maintain social distancing and consider wearing a self made mask
- Take the stairs
- Park your car further away
- Pace around your house
- Walk or run in place while watching TV
- Get a step tracker for encouragement or track on your phone
- Encourage standing/walking meetings at work
- Go up and down all the aisles at the store
- Walk around during phone calls
- Walk instead of drive to places nearby
- Join a step challenge competition or make one with your friends or co-workers
- Set reminders
- Walk your dog more frequently
- Play games with your kids like tag or hide and seek
Spending a bit of extra time increasing your steps can add time to your life with better health. For your own sake and for your loved ones, get up and move as often as you can!
For information visit: https://consumer.healthday.com/fitness-information-14/jogging-and-running-health-news-261/how-many-steps-per-day-to-lengthen-your-life-756006.html
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