How Many Steps Should You Be Taking in a Day?

 You’ve probably heard the figures for how many steps we should be taking in a day to say healthy. It used to be 5,000 and then it went to 10,000. So, the question is, how many steps do we really need to be taking each day? 

It turns out that the optimum number is 7,500 steps per day. To get to this number researchers at Harvard tracked the movement of 16,741 women ages 62 to 101. The researchers did find that as the average as number of steps taken per day increased that the risk of mortality decreased. 

They found that the effect peaked at around 7,500 steps. While you can do more and there won’t be any harm, you don’t need to do more for optimum health.

Another study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at how the rate of speed affected mortality. The researchers were surprised to find that speed was not a factor. The study found that participants who walked at a slow stroll rate of 50 steps per minutes was as effective in reducing mortality as walking at a faster pace.

You can also include in your 7,500 steps count any waking you do during the day, for example, walking to the car, going to the mailbox. All those steps count. This also means that you don’t need to walk for a minimum length of time for it to count. Any and all steps count!

So…1…2…3 and I’m on my way to 7,500. Come join me!