Did you get your steps in?
You’ve probably heard that taking 10,000 steps per day is the key to health and longevity. But according to one expert, there’s another number you should be keeping in mind: 30.
Heather Milton, an exercise physiologist at NYU Langone Health, says that it’s not about steps, it’s about how long you’re moving at a moderate intensity level.
“The sweet spot for breaking up sedentary time [is moving] every 30 minutes. If you’re walking, your steps are contributing to that [and that’s] helping your health,” Milton explained recently to HuffPost.
Rather than focusing specifically on steps, 30 minutes of moderate activity should be your objective for daily burn. Thirty is also the maximum number of minutes you should stay seated or sedentary during the day, Milton advised.
The exercise expert explained that the standard of 10,000 steps is more aesthetic than athletic. The number is based on the Manpo-kei pedometer designed in Japan in the 1960’s. According to Milton the Japanese character for 10,000 looks like a person walking and thus the name and the number became a marketing tool with no true basis in medical or scientific research.
Despite the lack of evidence, 10,000 has remained the gold standard for everyday exercise.
Milton told Huff Post, “The idea is if you’re getting the right intensity of that [10,000-step] walk, then you’re getting the CDC and ACSM recommended amount of aerobic exercise per day because it equates to about 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity.”
