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The Recommended Steps per Day on a Pedometer

Walking is a convenient way to sneak in the exercise you need without having to find time in your busy schedule for a workout. Every step you take throughout your day adds to the recommended 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise needed for a healthy lifestyle. You can wear a pedometer on your belt as a convenient way of monitoring your steps or mileage. Consult a physician before starting any exercise program.
Adults
Two thousand steps is approximate to one mile says Harvard Health. By increasing your steps, you increase your cardiovascular health and get the recommended amount of daily exercise without having to find time for the gym. There are several ways to find more steps in your day. Try parking farther from the store, use the restroom on a different floor of your office building and use the stairs to get there, or walk to a co-worker's office to discuss a problem instead of emailing or calling. Harvard Health also advises that you can determine how fast you are walking by the number of steps you take. 80 steps per minute means you're walking at a leisurely pace; while racking up 120 steps a minute indicates that you're walking very fast.
Children
Since the much touted 10,000 steps a day refers to adults, you should ensure that your child takes even more to stay physically fit. This may seem like a large number of steps, but school-age children are full of energy and can easily reach this goal. Instead of sitting and watching a television show or playing a video game, purchase a pedometer for your child and challenge him to reach his goal each day. Try taking a family walk in the evenings or run relay races in the backyard.
Older Adults
Older adults with limited mobility should still strive for as many steps in a day as possible. Activities as simple as getting up to change the channel on the television instead of using the remote, walking to mail box or walking through the grocery store all count toward your daily goal. Set a goal by purchasing a pedometer and using it for several days to find your average steps per day. Increase that number each week by a few hundred steps.
References
- Harvard Health Publications: Walking: Your Steps to Health
- Today: Give Your Body A Boost With More Steps A Day
- Diets In Review: Use A Pedometer To Reach Your 10,000 Steps Per Day
- Bassett DR, Toth LP, Lamunion SR, Crouter SE. Step counting: A review of measurement considerations and health-related applications. Sports Med. 2017;47(7):1303-1315. doi:10.1007/s40279-016-0663-1
- Dwyer T, Pezic A, Sun C, et al. Objectively measured daily steps and subsequent long term all-cause mortality: The Tasped Prospective Cohort Study. PLoS ONE. 2015;10(11):e0141274. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0141274
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Keeping it off. Updated May 15, 2015.
- Silva MP, Fontana FE, Callahan E, Mazzardo O, De Campos W. Step-count guidelines for children and adolescents: A systematic review. J Phys Act Health. 2015;12(8):1184-91. doi:10.1123/jpah.2014-0202
- Tudor-Locke C, Craig CL, Brown WJ, et al. How many steps/day are enough? For adults. Int J Behav Nutr Phy Act. 2011;8(1):79. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-8-79.
- Tudor-Locke C. Steps to better cardiovascular health: How many steps does it take to achieve good health and how confident are we in this number?. Curr Cardiovasc Risk Rep. 2010;4(4):271-276. doi:10.1007/s12170-010-0109-5
- Adams MA, Johnson WD, Tudor-Locke C. Steps/day translation of the moderate-to-vigorous physical activity guideline for children and adolescents. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2013;10:49. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-10-49
- Tudor-Locke C, Schuna JM, Han H, et al. Step-based physical activity metrics and cardiometabolic risk: NHANES 2005-2006. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2017;49(2):283-291. doi:10.1249/mss.0000000000001100
Writer Bio
Cindy Hamilton is the creator of Family-Health-And-Nutrition.com. Hamilton has been writing on the topic of healthy living on a budget since 2007 and has been featured on Mamapedia.com. In 2009 Family-Health-And-Nutrition.com was named one of the 100 best websites for healthy parents by onlinenursingprograms.net. Hamilton holds a Bachelor of Science from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio.