fi tbody 10,000 Steps


and Counting Keep Moving to Stay Fit by Kathleen Barnes


W


e have become a nation of couch potatoes. T e average American takes only 5,900 steps a day, somewhat better than the sedentary Brits that


average less than 4,000. T e notion that overall we need to take 10,000 steps a day to be physically fi t started with manpo-kei, a 1960s Japanese marketing tool to sell pedometers. While the 10,000 steps concept lacks specifi c supporting


science, it’s widely acknowledged that we are healthier the more that we move. Affi xing a target number to it helped spread the notion of the benefi ts of walking, says Catrine Tudor-Locke, Ph.D., a walking behavior researcher at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Tudor-Locke is a proponent


of the walking goal, although she readily admits the real objective is to get people moving more. “Any opportunity to walk more, more frequently and farther, wherever that is—it all adds up,” she says.


Making 10,000


Steps Possible For those already


physically fit and physically active, 10,000 steps is a no- brainer. However, it’s never


too late to start for those with exercise programs that have been supplanted by a too-busy-to- workout lifestyle. There’s probably no easier


exercise than walking, says Dr. Melina Jampolis, the Los Angeles author of The Doctor on Demand Diet. “Walking is the number one exercise I recommend to most of my patients, because it is exceptionally easy to do, requires only a supportive pair


of quality sneakers and has tremendous mental and physical benefits that increase just by getting outside in the fresh air.” The biggest bang for the increased effort is the first 3,000


to 4,000 steps between the sedentary baseline and 10,000 steps, Tudor-Locke explains. “Still, 10,000 steps is the magic number for the average


American,” says Dr. Michael Roizen, chief wellness officer at the Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio. “That specific number of steps seems to help break down insulin resistance, an underlying cause of Type 2 diabetes. We’re not exactly sure how this happens, but we know that this amount of exercise takes the glucose from the blood where it is a hazard to the cells, so that it becomes less hazardous.”


Exponential Health Benefi ts Many more well-documented health benefi ts of a walking program include: 4 increased heart health 4 lower blood pressure 4 stronger muscles 4 improved balance 4 weight control 4 natural stress relief Several studies from places like Harvard Medical School’s


affi liate Brigham and Women’s Hospital also show that a brisk walking program nearly cut in half the risk of early death in breast cancer patients. Most exercise experts note that a walking pace that leaves


the walker only slightly out of breath reaps the greatest rewards. “One hundred steps a minute is a good cadence,” advises Tudor-Locke. T e U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


recommends at least 150 minutes of exercise weekly, or 30 minutes fi ve days a week, for virtually everyone. Many experts don’t believe it’s necessary to move for 30 minutes straight. Ten-minute increments work fi ne; so a quick morning walk around the block, another outing during the lunch hour and a refreshing walk with the dog aſt er work can do the trick. Some evidence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion suggests that varying walking speed is even more eff ective in overcoming insulin resistance and burning calories.


Counting Up Roizen recommends wearing a pedometer or using a free iPhone app (no need for a fi tness band), mainly to keep up awareness of our daily step count. T ere’s no age when we don’t need to walk anymore. If a consistent 10,000 steps does wonders for health, some ask if more would be better. “Ten thousand is the answer for health and longevity, but 12,000 or more makes a diff erence for fi tness and calorie burning, so go for it!” Roizen says.


Kathleen Barnes is the author of numerous books on natural health, including Our Toxic World: A Survivor’s Guide. Connect at KathleenBarnes.com.


January 2018 19


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