Boost Your Health: Optimize Walking with Ideal Step Count

On Mar 14, 2024

Optimizing Your Daily Steps: Quality Over Quantity

Step counting has become a popular activity, perhaps due to our fondness for setting goals or the constant nudges from our wrist-worn devices. Studies, like this one and this one, have highlighted walking as a simple, attainable way to boost lifespan.

But the question remains – how many steps are enough? Is there a magic number? A recent study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine reveals that even a minimum of 2,200 steps can help combat sedentary lifestyle-related diseases like heart disease and diabetes, but aiming for up to 9,000 steps is more beneficial.

However, obsessing over the number of steps might not be the best approach. According to recent research, the type of steps you take is equally important as the quantity after a certain point. Here are some ways to make the most out of your daily step count, whether you’re hitting the minimum 2,200 steps or consistently logging 10,000.

Get Started with Walking

If you’ve fallen out of the walking habit, the first step is simple – just start. Amanda Paluch, a kinesiology professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, suggests starting small. Walk around the block or through your house. Test yourself and see if you can achieve 2,000 steps, which is roughly a mile, and gradually increase from there.

Even if you’re older or have a chronic condition that limits your mobility, walking at any speed can prove beneficial for your health.

Increase Your Walking Pace

Initially, counting your steps can be useful. However, once you begin to consistently reach the 6,000 to 8,000 steps per day target, it’s time to focus more on your pace.

Walking contracts your muscles, pushing blood from your legs to your heart, thus strengthening it over time. But according to Keith Baar, a professor of molecular exercise physiology at the University of California, Davis, the benefits plateau once your heart adjusts to a certain “stimulus” or routine. He suggests pushing yourself by walking faster and breathing harder to strengthen your cardiovascular system.

Start by walking faster intermittently, for 30 seconds or a minute at a time. Slowly increase the frequency and length of those intense bursts as you grow more comfortable.

Experience the Benefits of Outdoor Walking

Walking outdoors offers unique benefits. Although its impact on physical health is still a matter of debate as per a 2023 meta-analysis, Dr. Baar argues that walking on soft surfaces like sand, gravel, or dirt uses more energy because our tendons help us walk more efficiently on hard surfaces.

Furthermore, walking on trails can be beneficial since natural environments have proven mental health benefits, and trails usually have more hills than neighborhood streets.

Take on the Challenge of Walking Uphill

Upping the intensity of your walks by taking on hills is a great way to boost your fitness. This is especially useful if you have limited time for workouts. Walking uphill keeps your heart rate up, and you can even try walking uphill backward to target different muscles and make your walk even more challenging.

Consider Carrying Weight

Another way to intensify your walks is to carry weight in your backpack. This practice, known as rucking, can help with strength training while simultaneously increasing your heart rate. However, Dr. Paluch advises to ease into this practice as it can alter your gait or posture, leading to potential injury.

Try Incorporating Jogging into Your Routine

If you’re wondering whether it’s better to walk or run, Dr. Khan suggests that running can yield more long-term health benefits. Start with brief intervals of running, and gradually increase the duration. The most beneficial daily steps, according to Dr. Khan, are those you take while pushing yourself slightly harder than usual.