This quantified objective has no scientific basis. But increasing your physical activity, especially when you have a sedentary lifestyle, can lengthen your life expectancy and prevent chronic diseases.
Beep beep. “You walked 6,654/10,000 steps today.” If like 87% of French people you use a smartphone, you may have already received a notification of this kind. For several years now, mobile phones have included “health” applications which notably count your number of steps. The 10,000 steps is what many brands, sports brands, health applications, bloggers, insurance companies recommend… But where does this figure come from? While the Paris 2024 Olympic Games are an opportunity for the organizers to raise awareness on the subject of the fight against sedentary lifestyle, are pedometers and other sports applications useful tools for adopting a more active lifestyle?
The first documented appearance of a daily goal of 10,000 steps dates back to 1964, in an advertisement for a Japanese pedometer, marketed by Yamasa Corporation on the occasion of the Tokyo Olympics that year. His name: “Manpo-kei”. “Manpo” literally means “10,000 steps” and “kei” translates to “measure”.
A figure without proven scientific basis
At the time, the figure was set arbitrarily for marketing reasons. It is now present in all our smartphones without anyone knowing exactly why. “We often tell you: moving is good for your health. 10,000 steps a day is what the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends”, says the sports store Decathlon on its website. But does the WHO really recommend taking 10,000 steps daily? On its site, there is no mention of such a recommendation. Official WHO recommendations are for adults aged 18 to 64 to devote “at least 150 to 300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity endurance activity”or to “perform at least 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity endurance activity”. With, of course, the possibility of combining the two.
Contacted by franceinfo, the international organization confirms that, to date, “none of the WHO recommendations is expressed in number of steps”. However, she estimates that taking 10,000 steps a day can be “a good way to motivate yourself to be more active, using pedometers”. Traces of this can be found, for example, in a 2008 guidelines booklet*, written by the WHO office for the Western Pacific. But in its updated version*, the mention of 10,000 steps has disappeared, to make way for official WHO guidelines.
This cipher “is not based on any scientific evidence”supports Professor Martine Duclos, head of the sports medicine department at the CHU de Clermont-Ferrand and president of the National Observatory of Physical Activity and Sedentary Life (Onaps).
The 7,000 step threshold
Faced with the strength of this urban legend, several studies have however looked into the question of the number of steps to take each day to stay in shape. A 2019 American study conducted on women aged 72* on average assessed the benefits of an increase in daily walking. The researchers observed a 41% reduction in mortality between a group of women who only took 2,700 steps per day and another who took 4,400 steps. On the other hand, beyond 7,500 steps per day, the study concludes that there are no longer significant additional benefits on mortality reduction.
But the number of steps needed to stay healthy can vary from age to age. Another American study, published in 2021 and involving subjects with an average age of 45, showed that men and women who walk 7,000 steps or more per day have a lower risk of mortality than those who are under the age of 45. 7000 step mark. On the other hand, walking 10,000 steps or more is not associated, according to the study, with a reduction in additional mortality. The researchers therefore recommend that adults have a physical activity representing at least 7,000 steps per day.
A 2022 meta-analysis showed that step count was not only associated with a reduced risk of death, but also with a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease. If the number arbitrarily fixed at 10,000 steps is therefore not scientifically founded, physical activity, in particular through walking, is of course still beneficial for health.
Walking is good for your health
Even if you are far from reaching the step goal set by your smartphone, do not give up, because “those who benefit the most from an increase in their number of steps are those who start from scratch!”, underlines the sports doctor Martine Duclos. And if you really hate walking for a relatively long period of time, it’s entirely possible to replace walking with another physical activity, she says. “The important thing is to choose an activity that you like. For example, you can cycle for 30 minutes, ideally every day, at least every other day”explains the specialist.
The objective is therefore not so much the number of steps as regularity and a gradual increase in physical activity. By practicing a daily activity, “we trigger enzymes that will allow us to better capture glucose, store less lipids, irrigate the muscles and develop neuronal connections”continues Martine Duclos. “We will live longer and in better health, in body and in mind!”
Walking, however, retains a specific interest in stimulating the bones, unlike sports carried, such as cycling or swimming. “Walking is particularly beneficial for bone density”, explains the professor. Moreover, even if it is not a worn sport, “Walking is one of the least traumatic physical exercises that requires the least equipment”abounds the pulmonologist Daniel Piperno.
For the elderly, it is important to keep walking”encourages Brigitte Tarkowski, president of the Occitanie regional council ofNational order of podiatrists-podiatrists (ONPP). Walking makes it possible to “work on the balance of the personwhich prevents falls”and of “preserve joint and muscle mobility, which limits osteoarthritis and prevents muscle atrophy.” Walking can become difficult with age, but “even with a cane, with small steps, it’s completely positive”assures the podiatrist.
“It must not turn into an obsession”
Weight can also be a factor fatigue walking, “because of flat feet or knees in rotation“, she explains. In this case, it is better favor a slightly shorter but regular effort. “A person who weighs 120 kilos, if he only walks 20 minutes a day, that’s already very good. It is better to walk even 10 minutes every day than to get too tired and give up”she assures. “Whether you are 50 or 100 kilos, you have to move. Not just to lose weight, but to maintain your cardiac, respiratory and muscular systems”advances pulmonologist Daniel Piperno. The doctor thus highlights the source of motivation and “positive feedback” that pedometers and other sports applications can constitute.
For some people with a chronic disease, sometimes without knowing it, the pedometer can be a way of becoming aware of the decrease in their physical activity. Because “When you have a respiratory disease, it leads to shortness of breath on exertion. , alert the pulmonologist. However, “you shouldn’t be staring at the number of steps, it shouldn’t turn into an obsession”, he warns. Walking should be part of everyday life.
Still, a kilometer on foot, as everyone knows, wears out your shoes. Are there any risks in walking too much? Is special equipment required? “It’s a good thing from the moment you have good shoes, with appropriate shoes that respect the morphology and physiology of the foot“simply answers Brigitte Tarkowski. To choose a good pair of shoes to wear every day, choose “Round-toed city shoes with a heel less than 5 centimeters, which preserve the forefoot”. And if you embark on a walk of more than an hour, then it is recommended to “wear sports shoes, sneakers”. The podiatrist advises against pointy-toed shoes, which “compress the toes and can cause deformities”.
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