Modern living conditions increasingly favor a person to a minimum amount of walking.
More and more people now work in offices, at home, many people have a car, so walking is minimized.
This leads to such a thing as physical inactivity, as a result of which all sorts of health problems begin to arise in a person.
So, how many steps should a person take per day?
How many steps a person should take per day: research results
Based on the results of a study conducted by American, Canadian, Australian and French experts, general standards were established regarding how many steps each person must take to control their weight.
“The recommendations for all age groups were combined, but in the case of women, things are a little more complicated,” says Anders Raustorp, one of a group of scientists who decided to conduct the study. As it turned out, men and women under 50 who want to control their own weight, taking 10 thousand steps (as previously recommended) will not be enough daily.
In total, more than 3 thousand healthy adult people aged 19 to 94 years participated in the studies, including 974 men. The average age of the participants was 47 years. Earlier, a team of researchers established recommendations for children aged 6 to 12 years, in which girls had to go 12 thousand steps, and boys - 15 thousand steps daily.
Also, according to the results of the study, it was found that if a person has a clearly set goal, and he writes down all his small victories in a notebook, then his activity 4 months after the start of training is 27% higher than that of the rest of the group. That is, setting a goal is the key to success.
How many kilometers should a person walk a day: where to start?
So, if you decide to go for a walk, start at short distances. For example, if you are going to work by public transport, you can get 1-2 stops earlier. To do this, preliminarily calculate the time for how much you will cover the entire distance, and in a couple of weeks you will be able to see the first positive changes after such morning ten-minute classes.
When you started walking, you don’t need to rush and try to set some record of time or speed. The distance should be increased gradually, adding to it daily 100-150 meters. Try to get maximum positive emotions from walking.
In order not to interfere with your little trips, first plan your route, it is advisable to go along calm streets, far from noise. For walks, choose the most comfortable and lightweight shoes.
How many kilometers should a person walk a day: the benefits of walking
Since all people are different, naturally they also differ in parameters (weight, equipment, stride length, health strength, and so on), when training it is better to focus not on distance, but on time. To heal the body, doctors advise walking daily for 30-60 minutes, at an average pace. The effect of recovery at the same time is quite extended over time, however, this method remains the most stable. Serious results can be seen in about 12-15 weeks (with classes 3-4 times a week).
In addition, walking is a very affordable and at the same time very simple physical exercise, which also has a lot of positive effects for your health, such as:
improved metabolism;
improving blood circulation and increasing its oxygen content;
strengthening bones, muscles, joints;
increase in the general tone of the body;
lower cholesterol and blood sugar;
normalization of blood pressure;
prevention of most cardiovascular diseases;
during walking, the production of endorphin (the hormone of happiness) occurs, which helps to improve mood and helps in the fight against stress;
increasing the overall level of performance and resistance to mental stress;
stimulation of the liver, digestive glands and gastrointestinal tract.
Where and how much to go?
The most important advantage of walking as physical exercise is its simplicity. When walking, you don’t need to allocate any special time, since everyone moves from home to work, study or to the supermarket for shopping. You can also take a walk in the park before going to bed or get up one stop earlier from work.
To maintain the body in good tone, you need to go through at least 30-40 minutes daily. You should not be limited to some kind of mileage per day, since all people are different, so there is a generally accepted norm that all experts recommend adhering to - 12 thousand steps. For the elderly, this norm is somewhat reduced and amounts to 8-10 thousand steps per day.
If you follow your figure and would like to lose a few extra pounds, you need to make walking intense. Walking is great, and daily. It should occupy at least an hour and a half, and it is nice to alternate between fast and slow pace. Do not take long distances immediately, start with short ones, gradually increasing the distance. It is best to break your walks in time throughout the day for 20-25 minutes.
The most suitable places for walking are parks, embankments, streets with minimal traffic. For pregnant women, walking has two sides of the coin. On the one hand, walking can improve blood circulation and strengthen the musculoskeletal system, on the other hand, the load on the legs for women is much greater, so you need to rely on your feelings. Conclusion - walking for pregnant women is useful, but only if it leads to overwork and other inconveniences.
That's all you need to know about the properties of walking. Do not forget that a person is individual, and it is not always appropriate to equal the norm, each may have its own standards.
