How Many Steps Should Women Take a Day to Maintain Good Health and Boost Longevity?

If you can’t hit 10,000 steps daily… don’t worry.

The goal of 10,000 steps per day has been set by many to help reduce the risks of physical and mental problems. To help reach this 10,000 steps daily goal many people wear fitness trackers, wearables, or carry smartphones to track physical activity. This goal was originated in Japan from a pedometer called Manpokei, which translates to “10,000 steps meter.” Most fitness tracker settings often default to 10,000 steps daily, but information on why this number of steps are needed to sustain good health is limited. Medical experts have explained that steps are the basic element to locomotion that promotes walking and fitness at all levels and ages. Reasons why the measure of steps per day is valid are essential to research findings guiding improved public health.

In a cohort study conducted by Women’s Health Study (WHS), 16,741 women’s daily number of steps were measured to analyze the all-cause mortality rates. From the years 2011 to 2015, these women agreed to participate in the trial by wearing ActiGraph GT3X+ accelerometers to assess physical activity daily. The accelerometers were worn on the hip for 7 consecutive days, and only removed during sleep and during activities that involved the contact of water. The total number of 16, 741 participants only included women that wore the device for 4 or more days for a duration of 10 hours or more per day. Steps were counted by the manufacturer’s system. Step volume, intensity, peaks, and cadences were all measured by the device. Women also reported their health habits, personal and family medical history, and socioeconomic factors.

The average mean of women were 72 years of age with an average step count of 5,499 steps per day (roughly 2.5 miles), with 40 steps per minute. 92 steps and 58 steps per minute were the mean 1-minute peak and 30-minute cadences, respectively. Mean 5-minute cadence averaged at 63 steps per minute.  Only 3.1% of the monitored time were 40 steps per minute (purposeful steps), or more, taken by the participants, 51.4% of their time was spent taking no steps, and 45.5% of their time was stepping at 1 to 39 steps per minute (incidental steps). 504 women died during the average follow-up of 4.3 years. The study observed a step volume distribution of 4,400 steps per day was associated with a 41% risk reduction in mortality, compared to the lowest step volume of 2,718 steps per day.

Observations showed a decline in mortality rates up to approximately 7.500 steps per day. Beyond 7,500 steps, mortality rates leveled which indicated no further evidence. Step volume appeared to have more relevance in longevity for the women. There was no determination if healthier women were associated with higher step counts and lower mortality.

The study concluded that taking 10,000 steps provides no greater health benefit or longevity than taking 4,400 steps a day. This study delivered unique data due to not much evidence previously being associated with long-term health outcomes and steps. This evidence brings good news and encouragement to older women who might find difficulty in performing physical activities at faster paces. This information can be useful for clinical advice, wellness programs, and public health recommendations.

Practice Pearls:

• If 10,000 steps a day is out of reach for older women, try to aim for 4,400 a day with daily activities consistently to ensure healthy outcomes and life longevity.
• Approximately 7,500 steps a day can be associated with lower mortality rates; going beyond 7,500 steps showed no further decline in mortality rate.
• Older women engaging in small amounts of physical activity is beneficial in reducing mortality.

References:

1.    Aubrey, Allison. “10,000 Steps A Day? How Many You Really Need To Boost Longevity.” NPR, NPR, 29 May 2019, www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/05/29/727943418/do-you-really-need-10-000-steps-per-day.
2.    Lee, I-Min. “Association of Step Volume and Intensity With All-Cause Mortality in Older Women.” JAMA Internal Medicine, 29 May 2019, jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2734709#top.
3.    Rapaport, Lisa. “Daily Strides May Mean Longer Life for Older Women.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 29 May 2019, www.reuters.com/article/us-health-women-stepcounts/daily-strides-may-mean-longer-life-for-older-women-idUSKCN1SZ2HA.

Maya Rudolph; Florida A&M University: College of Pharmacy; , PharmD Candidate