Weight loss: Facts you should know about the '10,000 steps' rule

What is so unique about walking 10,000 steps daily? Why is it only 10,000 steps? What if you walk less? What if you walk more? What is the basis of this rule?

These questions might have come to your mind when somebody suggested you walk 10,000 steps daily.

Of the several weight loss techniques, walking is considered to be a low impact workout method which is easy to do, needs no monetary expense and can be done by people of all age groups. There is no particular pace of walking hence people can walk as per their own pace. Walking does not require a lavish set up; you can walk on your terrace, garden or an empty road.

However, doctors and health experts emphasize on the number of steps one should take. While generally it is believed that walking 10,000 steps is good for health, there are several other truths about this claim.

It is possible! But the impossibility can not be ruled out either.

The impact of an exercise or a workout differs from individual to individual. A person can lose weight by just walking 1000 steps a day, while another person may need an extra 1000 steps for the same result.

This pretty much explains why the weight loss plan of celebrities does not work for many of us. Hence this general rule is not applicable for all.

Walking improves the overall health of the body.

• It improves the cardiovascular health and prevents or delays the occurrence of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and other ailments
• It improves the endurance of the muscle
• It improves the health of the bone. Walking early in the morning provides the body with a sufficient amount of sunlight to synthesize vitamin D.
• It relieves stress
• It improves your social life

While it is a common belief that walking 10,000 steps a day is good for health. Considering the growing sedentary lifestyle routine people are more interested towards low impact workouts and walking is one of them. But a target of 10,000 steps is actually stopping many people from even starting with a few hundred steps; people believe that walking lesser steps will do no good so what’s the point of walking if you don't get any result. Also many people push themselves to complete 10,000 steps everyday.

So the big question is: Is it a good solution for everyone? The answer is no!

The ability to walk majorly depends on the health of the person, the age, sex, and other visible and invisible health complications. Setting a target of 10,000 steps for someone who has joint issues can give more harm than good.

Researchers have mixed responses to this.

While many research studies talk about the health benefits of walking for 10,000 steps a day, several others have said that walking half of it can also give that benefit.

A study by Harvard Medical School has found that walking 4,400 steps per day lowers the risk of death in women. The study was based on comparison with walking less than 3,000 steps a day.

Again, while many research studies emphasize on having high impact exercises for atleast 150 minutes a week, several other studies say that even low impact exercises are also good for the body.

There is no concrete conclusion to this!

The basis of all these findings is that physical activity is necessary and it is important for a human body to keep moving. The kind of lifestyle we are leading now does not give us any scope to move, which is why health issues which were earlier seen in old people only are being seen in young people.

So, what can be understood from the studies and the claims is that physical activity is indispensable to human health and walking is a convenient form of exercise.

But do not push yourself towards the target of walking 10,000 steps per day, but keeping your active with some sort of exercise.