By her own admission, TV presenter Helen Skelton is \u2018obsessed with steps\u2019. <\/p>\n
\u2018My friends tease me,\u2019 she says, \u2018but I\u2019ve always been like that\u2026 I sleep better, I eat better, I\u2019m a nicer person when I\u2019ve been outdoors.\u2019<\/p>\n
The benefits of walking<\/a> are myriad, especially when done outdoors. Barely a week goes by without a fresh study attesting to the mental or physical health benefits of a brisk stroll. But one question remains vexing: many steps do you need to do to harness these benefits?<\/p>\n The 10,000 step myth<\/p>\n It turns out the much mythologised 10,000-steps-a-day target is not ancient wisdom. And it\u2019s not even modern wisdom. It is, in fact, an excellent bit of 1960s marketing. Dr Paul Kelly, lecturer in physical activity for health at the University of Edinburgh, explains that the 10,000-steps-a-day campaign was created by a Japanese pedometer company during the build-up to the 1964 Olympics to encourage people to get fitter. Why 10,000? The Japanese symbol for 10,000 resembles a person walking<\/a>. Dr Kelly says, \u2018There was no scientific basis for the specific goal. However, earlier studies, including the 1953 Bus Conductor Study, which compared bus conductors with sedentary drivers, had already shown that people who walked more had better heart health.\u2019 <\/p>\n In other words, it\u2019s a total myth. The benefits of walking start from a far more modest target.<\/p>\n 2,000 steps<\/p>\n An analysis in the European Journal Of Preventive Cardiology looked at 17 studies involving more than 200,000 people. It found that as few as 2,337 steps a day began to lower the risk of dying from heart and circulatory diseases. At around 3,867 steps, the risk of dying from any cause fell, too, and every additional 1,000 brought a further 15% reduction. <\/p>\n 3,000 steps<\/p>\n A University of Alabama study reported that, for older adults with an average age of 78, heart-health benefits began at just 3,000 steps. Each additional 500 steps lowered cardiovascular risk by 14%. Making it to 4,500 steps reduced the risk of heart attack or stroke by 77% compared with 2,000 steps.<\/p>\n 4,000 steps<\/p>\n