Your phone tells you every morning that you must walk 10,000 steps so that he can celebrate on your behalf, and this number is surrounded by an aura of importance as if it is the key to a healthy life. The goal of 10,000 steps was first introduced through a Japanese pedometer marketing campaign following the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
There has been an increased focus on fitness in the host nation and companies have tried to capitalize on the craze surrounding the games. One marketing campaign was for a pedometer produced by a Japanese company called Manbu-kei, which literally means “ten thousand step counter” in Japanese. But this number was not scientifically based. Here the important question arises: how many steps should we walk daily? Should we walk more or less?
7,500 steps may protect you from depression
A new study led by researchers from the Spanish University of Castilla-La Mancha revealed the number of steps a person needs to walk every day in order to reduce the risk of depression.
The results of the study were published in the journal JAMA Network Open on December 16. While fewer than 5,000 steps were associated with a higher risk of depression, those who walked 7,500 steps had a 42% lower risk of depression. The results showed a significant relationship between an increase in the number of daily steps and a decrease in depressive symptoms.
Psychological disorders related to depression affect more than 330 million individuals around the world, and are considered among the main causes associated with mental illnesses that impair the lives of patients from early adulthood to old age.
The researchers tracked studies that monitored adult participants’ step counts through objective measurement devices (accelerometers, pedometers, or smartphones), and that included a diagnosis or symptoms of depression. They eventually reached 33 separate studies, including nearly 100,000 adults who use fitness trackers. They analyzed it to uncover the secret of step counting.
Anything is better than nothing
The researchers said that older people or those with a condition that prevents them from walking long distances may benefit from fewer steps, as something is better than nothing.
According to the British newspaper The Daily Mail, physiology experts warned that exceeding 8,000 steps per day may not even provide a “significant additional benefit” when it comes to reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes. Alternatively, walking faster in shorter intervals may be equally effective for maintaining health.