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in collaboration with
Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)
At work or teleworking, it can be difficult to move on a daily basis. How can we reach the recommendation of 10,000 steps per day, or get close to it? Here are some simple alternatives to implement.
To stay healthy, all doctors will tell you: you have to move. “I advise my patients to practice physical activity, not to play sports. This can be walking, cycling, gardening… In short, to move and not stay in bed or on the sofa. confirms Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician and medical director of Doctissimo. Practicing physical activity therefore means moving every day, in different forms. Here are four.
Climb at least 50 steps every day
According to the results of a recent study by scientists at Tulane University, who monitored the health of 458,860 volunteers in the United Kingdom for 12 years, climbing stairs can be beneficial. Participants were asked how often they climbed the stairs each day and then again five years later.
During this work, 39,043 volunteers developed atherosclerosis, i.e. a narrowing of their arteries, which makes the circulation of blood flow more difficult and increases the risk of cardiovascular pathologies. According to the researchers, participants who climbed between one and five stairs in a row every day were 3% less likely to suffer from atherosclerosis, from 6 to 10 stairs the risk was reduced by 16% and even by 23 % for those who climbed 16 to 20 stairs per day. Scientists therefore recommend climbing at least 50 steps every day.
Walk faster
When you want to achieve a maximum number of steps during a day, you can do them by walking at your own pace or by trying a variation: brisk walking. According to experts from Public Health England, which depends on the Department of Health in Great Britain, speeding up your pace when walking allows you to practice physical activity and has a positive impact on our body. According to them, “Walking very quickly for a minute counts as exercise!“.
If this exercise is maintained for ten minutes, it allows the heart rate and breathing to intensify. When going shopping, walking to work: you must therefore seize the slightest excuse to walk to do so, at a good pace.
Walk more
Instead of walking faster, there are those who prefer to walk more, to reach the threshold of the famous 10,000 steps, or to get close to it. To do this, very small everyday adjustments, well known but effective, make it possible to extend the distance you have to travel: getting off one stop before your station when taking public transport, or if this does not is not possible, park further away from your workplace.
Ride a bike
Finally, for those who prefer cycling to walking, cycling is also a good way to practice physical activity, without realizing it. More and more cities are developing cycle zones, so it is relatively easy to cycle in the city, in complete safety.
Don’t forget to bring a helmet and a good lock and you can make all your trips by bike. And it pays off quickly, because the benefits of cycling are felt from thirty minutes of daily practice.