You’ve likely heard the common recommendation from The National Institute of Health (NIH) that you should reach 10,000 steps per day (with a minimum of 4,000). You may already love taking long walks and ensuring that you’re active throughout the workday. But do you know why steps are so important? Research has found that people who increased their step count had lower rates of death from heart disease and cancer. What’s more amazing is that these benefits were consistent across age, sex, and race groups.
Achieving 10,000 steps is easier for some and more challenging for others. Many people spend at least a portion of their day working at a desk, so finding ways to break it up with a quick walk can go a long way in improving your overall health.
Walking has a low injury risk with high health benefits. Here’s what walking can do for you:
- Lower your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease and type 2 diabetes
- Strengthen your bones and muscles
- Help you burn more calories
- Improve your fitness
- Improve the supply of glucose and oxygen to the brain, allowing it to function at optimal efficiency
- Boost immune function
- Improve digestion after a heavy meal
- Lift your mood
If you’re looking for items that help promote the benefits of walking, check out the “Energy In/Energy Out” poster by clicking here. You can also shop all MacGill nutrition and fitness education materials here.
