ORLANDO, FL (Ivanhoe Newswire) — We’ve all heard that walking 10000 steps a day can improve our health but reaching that goal every day can be difficult. Work, kids, spouses, life – it all just seems to stop us in our tracks. But now, new studies reveal there are some alternatives that are just as beneficial but take less time.
You count each step … track each movement … but reaching 10 thousand steps a day, or an average of five miles, can take most people up to two consecutive hours. But there are some alternatives.
First, take the stairs. According to a study of 450 thousand people, climbing just five flights of stairs per day, or around 50 steps, lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease by 20 percent and can also reduce the risk of diabetes.
Another study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that just 25 minutes of vigorous movement such as brisk walking, jogging, and cycling can help a person live longer.
Short bursts of exercise can also lower your risk of cardiovascular death by 50 percent and lower your cancer risk by 40 percent. Experts suggest taking two to five minutes every hour during your day to get a burst of exercise. Suggestions include 15 chair squats, 50 jumping jacks, or jogging in place. The CDC recommends 150 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity per week which is equivalent to 30 minutes, five days a week. But even now they say that 30 minutes doesn’t have to be done all at once.
A few other alternatives to 10 thousand steps … dancing for 40 minutes, 30 minutes of house cleaning, 30 minutes of yoga, and four hours of standing while you work.
A new study out of Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that the benefits of walking for women over 60 maxed out at about four thousand steps a day, which equals about one and a half miles.
Sources:
https://www.atherosclerosis-journal.com/article/S0021-9150(23)05221-8/fulltext
https://www.fleetstreetmag.com/fitness/10000-steps-exercise-equivalents/
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Roque Correa, Editor.
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