According to a recent meta-analysis, the risk for premature death levelled off at about 6,000-
\n8,000 steps per day for adults 60 and older. Neither more steps nor increased walking speed (step
\ncadence) resulted in a lower risk of death.
\nHuman beings walk (ambulate or move about). Throughout our evolution, we have developed
\nthe capacity to walk long distances and build up our metabolisms, cardiovascular fitness,
\nmuscular strength and bone structure. As children we walked all over the place. As young adults
\nwe often did plenty of walking, especially if our first jobs demanded it. In middle adulthood,
\nmany of us in education walked about the campus, but had to augment that with working out or
\nrecreational walking. As TRTA retirees, we find ourselves needing to walk for our health\u2019s sake.
\nResearchers became interested in using steps to quantify ambulatory physical activity in the mid1900s. Beginning in 1995, this research gained momentum with the introduction of reasonably
\naccurate spring-levered pedometers with digital displays. Longitudinal studies using
\naccelerometers are being conducted today to measure the motion and vibration of human
\nwalking. A meta-analysis of 15 studies (sample size of 47,471 adults) was funded by the US
\nCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2022.
\nThe first pedometers for widespread personal use were produced in Japan following the 1964
\nOlympics. The number 10,000 was adopted as a marketing ploy with no scientific backing.
\nThese first measuring devices were worn at the waist.
\nInterest by the general population in tracking physical activity exploded in 2010. The number of
\naccelerator-based activity trackers by private citizens soared. In 2015, Fit Bit sold more than 21
\nmillion wrist worn activity tracking devices. Recently, smartwatches have included acceleratorbased measuring components.
\nThe cadence of the steps was not a factor in terms of longevity. Cadence is a consideration for
\nthose who follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation of 150
\nminutes of moderate activity per week. Although thirty minutes of walking at a cadence of 100
\nsteps a minute five times a week meets this recommendation, some adults would gain the same
\nbenefit from fifteen ten-minute walking segments over the seven days. The key is walking 100
\nsteps each minute of the segment at a speed of 2.8 MPH.
\nIncreasing one\u2019s physical activity level from 2,700 steps a day to 4,400 steps a day can have a
\npositive impact on an older adult\u2019s health. Increasing the daily steps to 7,000-7,500 can improve
\none\u2019s longevity and quality of life.
\nOnline References
\nDaily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. Amanda E.
\nPaluch, Shivangi Bajpai, David R. Bassett, Mercedes R. Carnethon, Ulf Ekelund, Kelly R.
\nEvenson, Deborah A. Galuska, Barbara J. Jefferis, William E. Kraus, I-Min Lee, Charles E.
\nMatthews, John D. Omura, Alpha D. Patel, Carl F. Pieper, Erika Rees-Punia, Dhayana
\nDallmeier, Jochen Klenk, Peter H. Whincup, Erin E. Dooley, Kelley Petey Gabriel, Priya Palta,
\nLisa A. Pompei, Ariel Chernofsky, Martin G. Larson, Ramachandran S. Vasan, Nicole Spartano,
\nMarcel Ballin, Peter Nordstrom, Sigmund A. Anderssen, Bjorge H. Hansen, Jennifer A. Cochran,
\nTerence Dwyer, Jing Wang, Luigi Ferrucci, Fangyu Liu, Jennifer Shrack, Jacek Urbanek, Pedro
\nF. Sainte-Maurice, Naofumi Yamamoto, Yutaka Yashitake, Robert L. Newton Jr., Shengping
\nYang, Eric J. Shiroma, Janet E. Fulton, on behalf of the Steps for health Collaborative.
\nCopyright: 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access Article under
\nthe CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 License. www.thelancet.com\/public-health Vol 7 March 2022.
\nStep Counting: A Review of Measurement Considerations and Health-Related Applications.
\nDavid R. Bassett, Lindsay P. Toth, Samuel R. LaMunion and Scott E. Crouter. Sports Med.
\n2017; 47(7): 1303-1315. Published online 2016 Dec 22 doi: 10.1007\/s40279-016-0663-
\n1. https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC5488109\/
\nNumber of steps per day more important than step intensity. National Institute of Health (NIH).
\nMarch 31, 2020. https:\/\/www.nih.gov\/news-events\/nih-research-matters\/number-steps-day-moreimportant-step-intensity
\nHow many steps for better health? National Institute of Health (NIH). June 11,
\n2019. https:\/\/nih.gov\/news-events\/nih-research-matters\/how-many-steps-better-health
\nIs 10,000 steps really a magic number for health? Michael Precker, American Heart Association
\nNews. November 16, 2021.
\nIs 10,000 steps best for my heart? Heart Foundation. September 9,
\n2019. Https:\/\/www.Heartfoundation.org.nz\/about-us\/news\/blogs\/is-10000-steps-best-for-myheart
\nExercise and Physical Activity. National Institute on
\nAging. https:\/\/www.nia.nih.gov\/health\/exercise-physical-activity
\nHow much physical activity do older adults need? Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
\n(CDC).
\nPedometer Accuracy in slow walking older adults. Int. J. Thar Rehabil. July 3, 2012. Canadian
\nInstitute of Health Research. https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pmc\/articles\/PMC4008448\/
\nScientists Identify the Optimal Number of Daily Steps for Longevity and It\u2019s Not 10,000. The
\nLancet Public Health Science Alert.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
According to a recent meta-analysis, the risk for premature death levelled off at about 6,000- 8,000 steps per day for adults 60 and older. Neither more steps nor increased walking speed (step cadence) resulted in a lower risk of death. Human beings walk (ambulate or move about). Throughout our evolution, we have developed the capacity […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":62744,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,40],"class_list":["post-64247","retirement","type-retirement","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-living-healthy","category-successful-retirement"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n