There are some groups where the goal of 10, steps may not be accurate, such as the elderly and children. Your individual step goal should be based on current activity levels and overall health and fitness goals. For people who normally do fewer than 10, steps, increasing daily activity by , steps per day will provide health benefits.
Always consult with a doctor or healthcare professional before commencing a physical activity program. For healthy adults, the goal of reaching 10, steps each day should be encouraged along with the Australian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines.
To reach 10, steps, active choices should be made throughout the day as many adults struggle to reach 10, steps without also doing some form of planned moderate activity.
Thirty minutes of moderate physical activity such as walking, is approximately 3, - 4, steps. By combining both the goal of 10, steps each day and 30 minutes of moderate activity as recommended in the Australian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines, people are more likely to reach a physical activity level associated with health benefits. Remember one of the main points from the Guidelines though, doing something is better than none and doing more is better again, fits quite nicely with our slogan Every step counts.
Not a 10, Steps member yet? Sign up for free with our website to track and monitor your physical activity and compete in steps challenges with yourself, friends and workmates. In an editorial accompanying the study , Nicole Spartano, a research assistant professor of medicine at Boston University, said the new study used a research-grade tracking device that is different from the step counters many people use on their smartwatches, pedometers or smartphones.
She said that as more people use step counters to promote better health, she would like to see more research to gauge their accuracy and to determine whether they work as well in different groups of people, including older people and obese people, who may have different gaits, or stride lengths.
In the meantime, the president of the American Heart Association, Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, chair of the department of preventive medicine at Northwestern University, said the new findings should encourage people who may find the prospect of 10, steps daunting. If we're doing something, we should do more.
And we should try to move more every day. And I think that's really the take-home message here. IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Politics Covid U. News World Opinion Business. Share this —. In fact, a article in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found that people under 18 years of age may take 10,—16, steps per day.
Older adults may vary more than other groups. For example, another article in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity notes that otherwise healthy older adults may average 2,—9, steps each day. The Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise study found that, on average, adult males took about 5, steps per day, whereas adult females took around 4, steps per day. A article in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity found similar results in children.
Young male children took between 12, and 16, steps each day. Young female children took between 10, and 13, steps each day. The average number of steps a person takes each day may also vary based on the type of job they have. For example, people who spend hours on their feet — such as construction workers, delivery workers, postal workers, and those working in the retail or service industries — may average more daily steps than people who spend hours working at a desk.
For instance, a study in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise notes that people in the United States took fewer steps per day than people from Japan, Australia, and Switzerland, as below:. A more recent study in the journal Nature used smartphone data from people around the world to estimate their activity levels.
This study also found that average activity levels vary in different locations, as below:. There seems to be a lot of variance between locations and even between different studies in the same locations. This may be due to differences in the lifestyle, transportation, or general health of the people in those locations. For people who find it difficult to meet recommended activity levels each day, adding simple activities such as taking more steps can help increase general activity.
An article in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity recommends that inactive adults incorporate at least 30 minutes of brisk walking, which is about 3,—4, steps, each day. For an average person, walking at a brisk pace means walking steps per minute.
This is enough to get the heart rate up slightly, but the person should still be comfortable while walking. This is a low requirement, and adding more steps or other activities to a regular exercise routine may provide more benefit. Active, otherwise healthy individuals can reasonably aim for the 10,step mark, though other forms of activity count toward this, as well.
The recommendation may be slightly lower for older adults. For example, a study in JAMA Internal Medicine found that older females who took between 4, and 7, steps per day experienced a lower risk of all-cause mortality than people who took under 2, steps per day.
There are some ways to increase step count and general activity levels, especially when first starting out. The sections below will look at these methods in more detail. It may help to set some goals and write them down to stay motivated. These should be attainable goals.
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