The idea that we should all be walking 10,000 steps a day, like getting eight hours of sleep each night or recognizing that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, has settled in most people’s minds. But is this exact number of steps absolutely necessary? What if you can only take 5,000 steps a day? Does this mean anything? The good news is that yes, any amount of steps is worth it.
IT CAN HELP YOU LOSE WEIGHT
Walking helps you burn calories. The number of calories you burn depends on your walking speed, distance walked and weight. In a small study at Sungkyunkwan University in Korea, obese women who walked for 50 to 70 minutes three times a week for 12 weeks slimmed their waist circumference and reduced their body fat by 1.5 percent.
GIVES HAPPINESS
In addition to helping you feel better physically, walking can also help you feel better emotionally. Research from the University of Nebraska has shown that taking regular walks can help reduce anxiety, depression, and negative mood. It may also increase self-esteem and reduce symptoms of social withdrawal.
CAN IMPROVE THE APPEARANCE OF VARICOSE
According to the Cleveland Clinic, walking regularly has been proven to help reduce the appearance and pain of varicose veins.
PREVENT AGE-RELATED MUSCLE LOSS
According to a Purdue University study, walking can help you maintain more muscle strength and function by reducing age-related muscle loss.
HELPS DIGESTION
Do not slump on the sofa in front of the TV after a heavy meal. According to The New York Times, walking in circles for 30 minutes will help keep things moving in your digestive tract and keep your blood sugar levels more stable.
DO YOU REALLY NEED TO WALK 10,000 STEPS PER DAY TO BE IN GOOD HEALTH?
According to experts; short answer, no. A professor of epidemiology at Harvard University’s TH Chan School of Public Health, Dr. According to I-Min Lee, the 10,000 step goal was a marketing strategy, not science-based. Dr. According to Lee, “The number probably originated as a marketing tool. In 1965, a Japanese business, Yamasa Clock and Instrument Company, sold a pedometer called Manpo-kei, which means ‘10,000 step meters’ in Japanese.” He says the company may have chosen this number because the number 10,000, written in Japanese, resembles a walking person.