It’s no secret that sitting too much isn’t good for your health. According to research, even if you do a daily workout, spending hours in a chair increases mortality. Experts recommend taking 10,000 steps a day, the equivalent of about 5 miles, for health purposes – but how many people are really meeting that goal?
Americans Take Fewer Steps than Other Countries
With easy access to cars, it isn’t surprising that Americans take fewer steps than people from other countries. In a study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, researchers tracked the activity of 1,136 adults in the United States, Western Australia, Switzerland and Japan using pedometers. Sadly, Americans didn’t fare well. Americans in this study averaged 5,117 steps a day, well short of the recommended 10,000 steps a day. Participants from Western Australia were the most active, taking 9,695 steps a day. Subjects from Switzerland did almost as well, stepping 9,650 times a day, while Japanese participants averaged 7,168 steps daily.
There were other interesting observations from this study. Men took more steps than women and singles took more than married people. Taking a greater number of steps was linked with more education, younger age and a lower body mass index.
Greater Number of Steps, Less Risk of Obesity?
Older members of the Amish community have an unusually high rate of physical activity. In a study published in Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, researchers found that the average Amish man in southern Ontario takes 18,425 steps a day, while Amish women average 14,106 steps daily. Not surprisingly, the obesity rate is low in this population. Only 9% of the women in this study were obese and none of the men. In both of these studies, there appears to be a link between the average number of steps taken a day and the incidence of obesity. Western Australia, Japan, and Switzerland all have lower obesity rates than America.
Occupation Matters
Not surprisingly, people who work a desk job take fewer steps than those who have jobs where they have to move around more. Being a secretary or teacher could be risky for your health. Secretaries average only 4,327 steps a day and most of these are taken after office hours. Teachers take only 4,726 steps daily. Mail carriers may have to brave the weather, but they top the list in terms of daily activity, averaging almost 19,000 steps a day. Wait staff in restaurants may have to put up with demanding customers, but they stay active, taking a little over 10,000 steps a day. Nurses fare better than most professions, clocking 8,648 steps per day.
With so many Americans having office jobs, it’s not surprising that most aren’t moving around enough during the day. Doing a daily workout helps, but it’s still important to find ways to move more at work to avoid the health risks of sitting too long. Here are some suggestions:
Use your lunch hour wisely. If you have a full hour for lunch, take a brisk walk outdoors for 30 minutes before eating. Not only will it add to your step total, but you’ll also get a mental break from the office.
Set a timer as a reminder to get up and move around every 30 minutes. Walk up and down the stairs a few times to get your blood circulating.
Wear comfortable shoes. If you’re wearing 5-inch stilettos at work, you won’t be motivated to walk around as much.
If possible, walk or bicycle to work. If you can’t, park as far from the building as possible, and walk around the parking lot a few times before going in the building. Do a few laps around the lot when you leave the building. Those extra steps add up.
Wear a pedometer to work to see how many steps you’re taking on the job. Then try to improve on that number. A pedometer can be very motivating.
The Bottom Line?
With most people having easy access to a car and the popularity of office jobs, most Americans are falling short of the daily activity they need. Even if you work out regularly, strap on a pedometer and see how much you’re moving when you’re not doing formal exercise. You may be surprised at just how sedentary you are during the day.
References:
Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: October 2010 – Volume 42 – Issue 10 – pp 1819-1825.
Medicine & Science in Sports and Exercise: 2004 Jan; 36(1): 79-85.
Natural News. “Step It Up: Study Finds Americans Fall Behind Activity Levels in Other Countries”
MSNBC News “Is Work Making You Fat?”
Related Articles By Cathe:
“Insignificant” Daily Activities Count for Keeping Weight Off
How Does the Physical Fitness of Kids Today Compare To Kids 20 Years ago?
Does Wearable Technology Really Help Us Stay Active?
Which is Unhealthier Being Obese or Being Physically Inactive?
