Average number of steps per day by age, gender and occupation

While there are no strict rules about how many steps a person should take per day, staying active and increasing your average number of steps per day can help people achieve their health and fitness goals. Using step trackers, smartphone apps, and other fitness-friendly devices can help people count how many steps they take every day.

A person's average daily step count can depend on a number of factors. These include age, gender, profession and even location.

Race walking - benefits

For most people, walking is a cheap and easily accessible form of physical activity. It is recommended to get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, such as brisk walking, every week. Regular physical activity improves muscle strength and endurance. Race walking may also play a role in the prevention of a number of chronic diseases, such as:

• cardiac ischemia
• type 2 diabetes
• obesity
• high blood pressure
• osteoporosis
• high cholesterol
• depression
• anxiety
• Alzheimer's disease

Walking poses a lower risk of injury compared to intense sports. In addition, in most cases, walking does not require special equipment or clothing for the activity.

Which walking is best for weight loss?

Experienced athletes, to maintain athletic shape, practice eight main types of walking:

1. Scandinavian. It is a movement at an average pace, supported by sticks. This method of walking is considered the safest, as it is suitable for people of any age, gender and weight. The main thing is not to overdo it. Walks should not cause discomfort or be too long.
2. Sports. Provides for a fairly fast pace of movement, with active involvement of the arms. Beginners who do not have sufficient experience are not recommended to start with race walking. Intense exercise is not suitable for people with large body weight or sore joints.
3. On the stairs. Used by trained athletes for maximum development of all muscles. Vigorous descents and ascents of stairs allow you to effectively burn extra calories.
4. Long walk. Walking in the fresh air is recommended for absolutely all people. To achieve positive results, you need to walk for an hour, maintaining an average pace of 4-5 km/hour.
5. Interval. Involves an activity with alternating speed of movement. Slow steps are replaced by energetic ones and turn into very fast ones. Each stage is allotted a certain time from 20 to 60 seconds. The scheme is repeated 5-10 times. The dynamic method allows you to significantly increase energy consumption. Conducting interval loads without preparation is undesirable.
6. On the spot. Even with limited space, you can organize effective home training. You will need to take brisk steps in place with your knees raised high. This type of walking is often used as a warm-up before the main part of the lesson.
7. Walking on an incline. Represents a serious burden on the entire body. High-intensity training is best done in mountainous areas. You can climb not only up hills, but also use a treadmill; the belt must be positioned at an inclination of 5-7 degrees.
8. Walking with weights. The preparation is technically similar to the Scandinavian version. In this case, instead of sticks, you need to take weights in your hands. Contraindicated for people with diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. For the first classes, light weights are used.

Be sure to read: How to exercise correctly in the gym to lose weight without a trainer: the best exercises, how to create a program

Energy costs for different stride options

The effectiveness of any type of walking depends on a number of factors:

• initial human body weight;
• movement speed;
• duration of continuous steps;
• presence/absence of additional loads;
• systematic training.

Number of steps per day by age

The average daily number of steps a person takes may fluctuate with age. A study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine found that adults who took part in the challenge took an average of 6,886 steps per day. However, this number may be slightly higher because participants were directly involved in other activities.

The study, published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, found that adults take an average of 5,117 steps per day. Younger adults and children may be able to take more steps per day. A 2011 study found that people under the age of 18 can take between 10,000 and 16,000 steps per day. Older people are different from other groups. For example, another study notes that healthy older adults can average 2,000 to 9,000 steps per day.

How to walk correctly to lose weight?

To achieve noticeable results and not harm your joints, it is important not just to walk, but to move correctly. To start training, you will need comfortable clothes and shoes with thick soles.

Healthy walking techniques require adherence to a number of points:

• While moving, your posture must be kept straight, your back should not be rounded, and your gaze should be directed forward.
• You need to straighten your shoulders and pull them back, tighten your abdominal muscles.
• Move your legs parallel to each other, stepping from heel to toe.
• Arms bent at the elbows should follow the movement of the body.
• Inhale and exhale evenly through the nose, do not take too deep or sharp breaths.

Walking speed is divided into 5 types:

1. minimum – 60 steps/min.;
2. slow – 80 steps/min.;
3. medium – 110 steps/min.;
4. high – 130 steps/min.;
5. very high – 140 or more steps/min.

Especially in the initial stages, you should move at a moderate pace, gradually increasing your walking speed. If you experience severe shortness of breath, increased heart rate, rapid heartbeat, or chest discomfort, you must stop training.

Average number of steps by country

The number of steps a person takes can also depend on their location. For example, a study in the Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise notes that people in the United States took fewer steps per day than people in Japan, Australia, and Switzerland. This may be due to differences in lifestyle, transportation, or general health of people in these places.

The 10,000 steps theory

There is a theory that says that every day a person needs to walk 10,000 steps (about 8 km). It appeared in Japan and was proposed back in the 1960s by Yoshiro Hatano, the first person to patent an electronic pedometer. His device was called Mampo-kei, which translates to “many steps” in Japanese.

© aliaksandrbarysenka

It will be interesting to note that 10,000 is a very favorable number for the inhabitants of the land of the rising sun.

There are several opinions regarding this number. The most obvious thing is that 10,000 steps is simply a successful marketing ploy, and this is confirmed by the popularity that the device has gained.

It's worth noting that 10,000 steps a day is not that big of a number. Depending on the stride length, this number can be the equivalent of 5 – 10 km.

The problem with such a norm of steps

is that the generation of the 1960s is very different from the current generation, especially when comparing Japan at that time and the United States today. The amount of calories consumed then was much lower than today, and more people traveled on foot or by bicycle than by car.

Today, according to experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, to successfully burn calories, a modern person needs to walk at least 20,000 steps a day

, that is, approximately 10-20 km depending on the step length.

Nutritionists confirm

that 10,000 steps is a value that you should not pay much attention to, since it is too general. Still, it’s better to go through them than to give up physical activity altogether.

How many steps should a person take?

For people who find it difficult to meet recommended levels of activity each day, taking more steps can increase overall activity. Adults should walk 30 minutes a day, which is about 3000-4000 steps.

For the average person, brisk walking means 100 steps per minute. This is enough to increase the heart rate, but the person should feel comfortable while walking. Adding more steps or other activities to your regular exercise routine may provide more benefits. Active, otherwise healthy people can aim for the 10,000 steps mark, although other forms of activity should also be considered. For older people, this recommendation may be slightly lower. For example, a study in JAMA Internal Medicine found that older women who took 4,400 to 7,500 steps per day had a lower risk of all-cause mortality than people who took fewer than 2,700 steps per day.

Watch with pedometer function

A good choice for those who love wrist watches. You must enter the step length there yourself. So the watch will calculate the number of steps more or less correctly, and the distance traveled will be very approximately, unlike the previous option. After all, they actually simply multiply the number of steps by the length of the step, and the length of the step changes significantly while walking. And you cannot hold your hand with the watch motionless while walking, the steps will not be counted.

Keep your finger on the pulse. Counting steps and heart rate

More details

How to increase your steps

There are several ways to increase your step count and overall activity level, especially when you're just starting out with walking.

Set goals and stick to them

Starting any new level of activity can be challenging. It is necessary to set goals and write them down to stay motivated. These should be achievable goals. For example, set a goal to start walking for 10 minutes every day, gradually increasing this time to 30 minutes every day for 6 months. For other people, setting distance goals, such as walking 1 mile or walking to a landmark down the street and back, can help. Setting small goals and achieving them can help a person stay motivated.

Walk to pleasant places

Walking in pleasant places can help some people take their daily steps. For others, however, a walk through the mall can keep them motivated. It is important for each person to decide what he finds most enjoyable.

Walk with a friend

Walking with a buddy can help a person increase their step count by taking their mind off the activity itself. Making walking a social activity can make it more enjoyable and help a person walk more, as well as provide mutual accountability and motivation.

Take the dog

Walking the dog can keep some people motivated to walk longer or to new places, which can also make walking more enjoyable.

Park further away

In areas with large parking lots, actions such as parking further away can help a person increase their step count.

Climb the stairs

If possible, choosing the stairs rather than the elevator can increase a person's daily step count.

Track progress

Tracking progress will help some people see the results they are making. Keeping a simple progress log that records the date, number of steps, can help monitor progress. This will help you stay motivated to take additional steps.

Standard parameters for walking for women

How many people, so many opinions. Some experts call the figure 10,000 steps daily, others call for walking as much as your health allows. Although walking is a useful thing, there are situations in which you need to walk slowly, and not try to cover the distance in a record number of minutes.

Benefits of walking

Back in the 5th century BC, the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates said: “Walking is man’s best medicine.” This postulate has not lost its relevance today.

Walking is beneficial because:

1. Strengthens health.
2. Reduces cholesterol levels in human blood.
3. Reduces the likelihood of diabetes.
4. Fights against aging. Daily walks have a beneficial effect on human skin.
5. Increases the body's performance, hardens it, and improves immunity.
6. Has a beneficial effect on the respiratory system.
7. Has a beneficial effect on the spine, joints, and bones. It also strengthens the muscular system and helps shape your figure.
8. An indispensable friend in the fight against excess weight.
9. Improves mood, relieves stress, energizes.
10. Has a beneficial effect on the digestive tract.

Walking is beneficial - this is an axiom. But how much walking a day should you do to stay healthy, and how much should you walk a day to lose weight?

For some, walking 2 kilometers is equivalent to the feat of Hercules, while for others, even 7 kilometers is not enough. It all depends on the person himself. You need to soberly assess your strengths, capabilities and needs of your body.

Walking for weight loss and walking for health are two different types. Walking is good for your health; you can walk slowly and enjoy the scenery. It would be a good idea to purchase a pedometer that clearly shows how many kilometers have been walked and steps taken.

If we talk about walking as a method of losing extra pounds, then scientists advise walking 5 to 10 km a day. The principle here is that the more extra pounds there are, the more the person losing weight needs to walk. Walking speed is only important if a person walks to lose weight. Walking is beneficial in this case when it is fast. It is better to walk less, but at an accelerated pace, than to walk long and slowly.

Who is recommended to walk a lot

Those who lead a sedentary lifestyle, those who want to lose weight, pregnant women, and those over 50 years old need to walk a lot.

The main principle in any activity, and walking is no exception, is to do no harm. You shouldn’t immediately try to cover as much ground as possible at a fast pace, especially if the person previously led a sedentary lifestyle. It is better to gradually increase the pace and distance, increasing the number of steps taken every day.

Modern gadgets record the number of steps taken. With the help of such devices, you can clearly increase your walking mileage every day without harm to your health.

All people are different, so when training and walking it is better to count not on distance, but on time. To keep the body in good shape, doctors advise walking 30-60 minutes a day at an average pace.

Contraindications for exercise

According to the UK Department of Health, a modern person must walk 10,000 steps a day to maintain health.

The main principles when walking are moderate, gradual and systematic walking.

For people with high blood pressure (hypertension), arrhythmia, diabetes, glaucoma, chronic and acute diseases, walking is contraindicated.

To combat excess weight, the ideal option is brisk walking. It is thanks to it that you can burn as many kilocalories as when jogging. Fast walking strengthens the muscles of the legs, abdomen and buttocks. Two weeks of daily 30-minute walks, and the results will not be long in coming. Walking a distance of 6 km daily at maximum pace is the key to successful weight loss.

Regardless of whether losing weight is for health purposes or is based on the desire to lose weight, a person needs to walk a lot and often.

Where should a newbie start?

To start running, you need to have a great desire to do it. Equally important is the selection of comfortable shoes. If the running shoes are not fitted correctly, your workout can be harmful. It is advisable that they be loose, 1 size larger. It is best to purchase special sneakers. When trying on shoes, you need to move around in them, jump, appreciating the comfort.

For summer clothes, choose a T-shirt or a shorts, trousers or shorts. Socks and a cap are also required. It is important that things are made of natural fabric. In winter, dress in 3 layers: a T-shirt, a turtleneck and a windbreaker. Things should not restrict movement and be very warm. Women also need special underwear. It is advisable to run on special sports grounds.

Parks are also suitable for this. You should not jog along roads, because polluted air impairs the quality of your workouts. Even before a light jog, a warm-up is necessary. It is necessary to perform swinging movements of the arms, legs, lunges, half-squats, bends, rotations of the body and head. With the help of these simple exercises, the muscles are warmed up and elasticized.

Cooling down after running allows you to return to your normal state. The load on the hearts is reduced, blood stagnation is not allowed. Normal pulse, blood pressure, and temperature are also restored. With the help of simple exercises the intensity of pain decreases. This is done by jogging, walking on toes, bending to the ground, and flexibility exercises.

What should your heart rate be when walking? How to measure it

Brisk walks are a gentle sport. They are especially useful for women, since the heart and blood vessels are not exposed to dangerous stress. The normal heart rate while walking is 100-120 beats per minute. It is important to monitor your heart rate.

You should not overload yourself if your pulse is very fast, because this is dangerous to your health . In this case, it is necessary to reduce the time and pace of movement. There are several areas on the human body that help detect the pulse.

Change it with:

• wrist area;
• elbow bend;
• armpit;
• temples;
• neck and groin;
• feet.

Typically, heart rhythm is detected through the neck or wrist. These are the most accessible places.