Do I Need to Take 10000 Steps a Day?

If you've heard that you need to take 10000 steps a day, you may be feeling overwhelmed. After all, that's a lot of walking. But here's some good news for you: an eight-year AARP study has proved that you could extend your life by three years, simply by moving for 15 minutes a day.

Now, in that same study, we learned that you can lower mortality risk by another 4% for every additional 15 minutes of daily movement. But to really get the benefits of walking, do you need to meet a set daily step count? Here’s what you need to know.

Why You Should Consider 7000 Steps

Did you know that, simply by walking a mile, you can burn 85 calories, and you can increase that burn by choosing a faster pace or a hillier path? It's true! And yet, many people still feel like the 10,000 steps a day goal is the ideal amount of movement. But guess what? A JAMA Open Network, study just revealed that you could get almost identical benefits by walking 7,000 a steps a day. In fact, over the course of 11 years, researchers observed that taking 7000 steps a day lowered participants risk for premature death by between 50 and 70%.

Why is Walking so Good for Your Vein Health?

Walking carries so many potential benefits, both for fighting vein disease and for your overall health. Here's why:

1. Provides a pathway to weight loss.

Walking is a low-impact cardiovascular exercise that burns calories without putting pressure on the joints. And that happens at any level of movement, even if you don't take 10,000 steps.

2. Walking reduces varicose vein appearance.

Walking builds strong leg muscles, and strong leg muscles can help pump blood out of your legs, reducing your risk for varicose veins.

Walking Benefits Start Before You Hit 10000 Steps a Day!

While it's always ok to set a goal of taking 10000 steps, you can support wellness by any amount of walking. Plus, you can take other steps towards improving your vein health by following a healthier diet, and moving just a bit more, every single day. How can you make that happen?

Make movement a choice and never give up

This process starts with simple choices: choose to park at the back of the parking lot, or take the stairs instead of the elevator. Basically, you should look for opportunities to move a bit more whenever you can. Over time, that adds up to a lot of movement (even if you don't reach 10000 steps a day.)

And on that note, here's one more thing we want you to remember. Setting daily movement goals is a great idea, if that motivates you. But if you find yourself refusing to get out of bed if you think you won't take 10000 steps that day, than give up on that high bar, replacing it with small, attainable goals. That way, you'll move more and feel better, without getting defeated.

Need more help with working movement into your vein health routine? Already have vein disease and need supervisory care? Our experts are ready to help. Click here to request an appointment.