The World Health Organization (WHO) has determined that the body reaches the level of physical activity necessary for health when a person walks 10 thousand. steps, says D. Sorakienė, physiotherapist-masseur of the health care network “Antėja”.
“Prior to publishing these numbers, a study was conducted with a sample of people to determine how many steps a person needs to walk per day on average to maintain good health.
Walking is beneficial in that it distributes the physical load evenly, starting with the feet and ending with the upper part of the body. During proper walking, all joints and muscles move,” explains the physiotherapist.
However, according to her, each person should individually strive to improve their personal results and not be guided exactly by 10 thousand. step limit. The exact number of healthy steps must be determined for each person according to their age, health condition and level of physical fitness.
Because, says D. Sorakienė, for some people 10 thousand. steps is simply an unattainable goal due to a more sedentary lifestyle, health problems or insufficient physical fitness.
“If, with an average effort, a person walks 5 thousand a day. steps, that’s 7 thousand for him. steps will be a great achievement. If your health condition and capabilities are not properly assessed, too much physical activity can simply exhaust the body too quickly, in which case the body may need more energy resources to recover.
Human anatomy is a complex subject. Some systems of muscles and bones will allow you to achieve one result, others – completely different. However, the most important thing when doing sports is regularity”, emphasizes D. Sorakienė.
According to her, 10 thousand have been collected. steps per day is possible even for those who think they don’t have time for it. For this, she advises to consciously get up from your workplace from time to time and go for a walk, to meet face-to-face with colleagues from neighboring offices instead of talking or texting on the phone, to choose to cover short distances by foot rather than by car, and to replace the elevator with stairs.
“In general, any physical activity that brings joy to a person and does not require tiring preparation is very useful. My favorite summer activities that work a very large muscle group are swimming and rollerblading. This is an alternative to regular exercise, which also perfectly strengthens the muscles,” says the physiotherapist.
2024-09-01 11:00:10