Much health science research disproves WHO’s suggestion of 10,000 steps to lead a healthy life every day
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If we stick to what the WHO says, we can’t do without it, but do we really need 10,000 steps a day to be fit?
A few years ago, the World Health Organization launched the “10,000 steps a day” campaign to invite citizens to lead a healthy life, which would decrease the risk of heart attacks, improve blood pressure and contribute to a general weight loss of people at risk of obesity.
Walk like this for 10,000 steps: it will be child’s play
So is walking really that good? The answer is certainly yes, but it is certainly not new. But is this really the threshold necessary to have a healthy life? And where does the number 10,000 come from?
Over the years we have seen how this measure raises doubts. And the scientific alternatives are there. From studies suggesting 3,000 daily steps to those aiming for 7,000 (perhaps the most balanced goal). Let’s try to understand more.
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The “story of the 10 thousand steps” is interesting, and is connected to the market for fitness bracelets (or smart bands, GPS watches and the like), which has been continuously expanding since 2018.
Not everyone knows, however, that the first such device saw the light in 1964 in Japanthe year of the first Tokyo Olympics, and was pushed by the marketing campaign of the Japanese agency Yamasa Tokei which launched Manpo-Kei on the market, literally “The 10,000 step counter”.
For the first time, an automatic device was distributed that indicated the exact number of steps to take to be healthy. Afterwards WHO, involved in the subject, conducted its studies and he came to establish his reference, which has nothing to do with the Japanese bracelet, but it all started with an advertising launch.
Today the market has improved the product without changing the number of steps: always 10,000, which roughly correspond to 8 km.
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We must ask ourselves if this number can really still be considered reliable and represent an adequate reminder for them sedentary people who would like to change their lifestyle but cannot. WHO and the Italian Obesity Society (SIO) agree to underline the importance of regular physical activity to prevent and, in some cases, solve metabolic problems,cardiovascular, postural and pressure.
But the 10,000 steps, more than a medical-scientific diktat to lead a healthy life, must be considered more than anything else incentive for those who want to improve their quality of life but cannot.