Do you know how many steps people take on average every day If you don’t know, find out- The idea of walking 10,000 steps a day started when a Japanese company developed a pedometer called ‘Monpo-kei’. Walking 10,000 steps per day was considered ideal to maintain fitness. But a new study revealed that you need to walk 4,400 steps a day to live longer.
According to experts, walking should be counted in minutes and not in kilometers. For example, if you focus on running for 45 minutes, that will be a longer and more rewarding exercise than walking exactly five kilometers. Experts also say that the focus should be on the feet rather than speed and distance.
According to a 2018 study published in the journal Scientific Reports, the same thinking should be applied to walking, changing the popular idea of walking 10,000 steps per day. Walking 10,000 steps per day is not ideal and not an accurate indicator of physical health, experts say.
According to research conducted by Harvard University-based Brigham and Women’s Hospital and published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine, taking only 4,400 steps a day is needed to significantly reduce the risk of death. The risk of death decreases as the number of steps increases, but no more than 7,500 steps should be taken per day. Exercising for at least 20 minutes every day besides walking can keep you healthy and fit.
According to a new report published by the Wall Street Journal, the focus should be on walking outside to maximize health benefits. Spending time in nature improves blood pressure, heart rate and stress hormones. It helps to cure anxiety, depression and lethargy.
Regular activity, including walking, offers a number of health benefits, including a reduced risk of:
Heart disease and stroke
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Obesity
Depression
Certain cancers, including breast and colon cancer But how many steps per day does the average person really take? And is it enough?
Steps decrease with age
A 2011 review Trusted Source concluded that adults over the age of 18 take anywhere from 4,000 to 18,000 steps per day. Another 2011 review Trusted Source looked at children and adolescents.
It found that those under 18 take anywhere from 10,000 to 16,000 steps per day. The authors noted that the number of daily steps drops significantly as teenagers approach age 18.
Age definitely seems to play a role in how much walking people are doing. Younger adults are also more likely Trusted Source to meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for aerobic activity than older adults.
Males tend to walk more
There appears to be a significant difference in the average number of steps taken by females and males. From childhood through adulthood, males tend to walk more. As children and teens, they walk an average of 12,000 to 16,000Trusted Source steps per day. Young females, on the other hand, get 10,000 to 12,000.
This trend continues into adulthood, at least in the United States. A 2010 study Trusted Source looked at pedometer data for just over 1,000 adults. Overall, males took an average of 5,340 steps per day, compared to 4,912 for females.
Your work probably plays a role, given the review
What you do for a living may impact your average steps per day, too. Jenny Craig conducted a small research project in 2012 involving 10 participants from Australia, each with a different job. They were given pedometers to track their steps.
Here’s a breakdown of the average steps per day associated with 10 professions, from highest to lowest:
| Occupation | Average steps per day |
| Waiter | 22,778 |
| Nurse | 16,390 |
| Retail worker | 14,660 |
| Farmer | 14,037 |
| Stay-at-home parent | 13,813 |
| Teacher | 12,564 |
| Tradesperson | 11,585 |
| Hairdresser | 9,209 |
| Office worker | 7,570 |
| Call center associate | 6,618 |
Keep in mind that this data wasn’t collected as part of a formal, controlled study. It only includes data for one person in each occupation and doesn’t account for important factors, such as sex or age.
Still, it’s an interesting snapshot of how much the average steps per day can vary from person to person.
The number varies from country to country
People in certain countries tend to take more steps per day than those in other countries. A 2017 study tracked activity levels of 717,527 people in 111 countries over an average of 95 days using smartphones.
Here’s what the study found:
| Country | Average steps per day |
| Hong Kong | 6,880 |
| China | 6,189 |
| United Kingdom | 5,444 |
| Germany | 5,205 |
| France | 5,141 |
| Australia | 4,491 |
| Canada | 4,819 |
| United States | 4,774 |
| India | 4,297 |
| Indonesia | 3,513 |
It’s not clear why the average number of steps per day varies from country to country. A range of factors likely play a role, including:
- obesity rates
- climate
- walkability of roads and sidewalks
- income
See how you measure up
The CDC trusted Source recommends that adults, including older adults, get a minimum of 150 minutes of aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, per week. A brisk pace translates to roughly 100 steps per minute. This means you’ll need to take 15,000 steps per week (a little over 2,000 steps per day) to meet the CDC’s minimum guidelines.
For more health benefits, the CDC recommends upping that goal to 300 minutes. This equals about 30,000 steps per week (just under 5,000 steps per day).
Remember, this refers to walking at a fast pace, one that leaves you at least slightly out of breath.
Chances are this doesn’t apply to every step you take throughout your day, so 10,000 steps per day is still a good goal to work toward to ensure you’re getting enough. Just make sure a portion of those involve walking at a faster pace.
If you’re not sure how you can add more steps to your daily routine, try these tips:
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Park farther away from the door when running errands.
- Walk with a friend.
- Clean your house.
- Take a walk during breaks at work.
- Walk in the mall when the weather’s poor.
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