10,000 steps a day? Really?
It's okay if you walk less
I’ve been asked, “Why do you call your post Lazybones?” Simple answer: I’m the Lazybones. When I was a kid my Dad tried to get me involved in little league. I didn’t want to play ball so he called me lazybones and the name stuck. Now, I’m physically active but I still think like I’m lazybones.
If you’re trying to lose weight or if you’re just trying to be healthy, you’ve probably heard that you should be taking 10,000 steps each day. I wouldn’t blame you if you just thought, “there’s no way I can do that.” Actually, most adults average fewer than 5,000 steps a day.
Depending on your height and stride, 10,000 steps is about five miles and would burn somewhere between 3,500 and 5,000 calories in a week. This might result in a little more than a pound of weight loss. It seems like a lot of effort for not much benefit.
Where did this unrealistic guideline come from anyway? The best guess is that in 1965 a Japanese company developed a pedometer which they called, Manpo-kei, which translates to “10,000 steps meter” so it’s arbitrary; there’s no reason to make 10,000 steps your goal.
Rather than counting steps the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) advocates 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity (brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity like running. For most of us non-runners 30 minutes of brisk walking five days a week is more doable. Either should be combined with some muscle strengthening activity two days each week.
But, if you’ve got an Apple Watch, Fitbit, or old-fashioned pedometer and you’re intent on counting steps, instead of aiming for 10,000 just monitor your step count for a week. Compute your weekly average and next week aim to increase it by ten percent.
Future Lazybones posts will have suggestions for incorporating moderate physical activity in your daily routines so it won’t feel burdensome or like you’re making a special effort.
I've always been suspicious of that 10,000 steps business. But it's something, and if that's what people are going to do, you can't stop 'em.
The other day, I asked my 60 yo stepson what he's doing for exercise, and he said he's trying to "get his steps in while walking the dog." I nodded, and thought to myself, "No upper body exercises?"
I walk when I can and do 2 types of exercise--upper body or lower body/legs. I do a 33 min. session every day, 33 min. a day AT HOME. I did it enough to make it a habit. The 33 min. includes a warm-up and a cool down/stretching, plus 20 min of work on pull + push, or legs. Works for me. It obviously doesn't work for everyone.
I hope more people will listen to Dr. Abramson!
Thank you for a great post and for the reason for your Substack name. Good timing with New Year’s around the corner. I think the target of 10,000 is overwhelming for folks who are inactive so it’s a good reminder that we walk for reason’s other than just weight loss.