Should we measure exercise in minutes or steps? — Harvard Gazette (2024)

A new study suggests that both step-count and time-based exercise goals are equally effective in reducing risks of heart disease and early death.

Researchers from Harvard-affiliated Brigham and Women’s Hospital reviewed data on healthy women age 62+, who used wearable devices to record their physical activity, and then tracked their health outcomes. After amedian follow-up of nine years, the researchers found higher levels of physical activity, whether in time of exercise or step counts, were associated with large risk reductions in mortality and cardiovascular disease. The most active quarter of women in the study had a 30 to 40 percent reduced risk compared to the least active quarter.

Results of the study are published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

“We recognized that existing physical activity guidelines focus primarily on activity duration and intensity but lack step-based recommendations,” said lead authorRikuta Hamaya, a researcher in theDivision of Preventive Medicineat BWH. “With more people using smartwatches to measure their steps and overall health, we saw the importance of ascertaining how step-based measurements compare to time-based targets in their association with health outcomes — is one better than the other?”

“Movement looks different for everyone, and nearly all forms of movement are beneficial to our health.”

Rikuta Hamaya

The currentU.S. guidelines, last updated in 2018, recommend that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity (e.g., brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity (e.g., jogging) per week. At that time, most of the existing evidence on health benefits came from studies where participants self-reported their physical activity. Few data points existed on the relationship between steps and health. Fast-forward to the present — with wearables being ubiquitous, step counts are now a popular metric among many fitness-tracking platforms. How do time-based goals stack up against step-based ones? Investigators sought to answer this question.

For this study, investigators collected data from 14,399 women who participated in the Women’s Health Study, and were healthy (free from cardiovascular disease and cancer). Between 2011 and 2015, participants aged 62 years and older were asked to wear research-grade wearables for seven consecutive days to record their physical activity levels, only removing the devices for sleep or water-related activities. Throughout the study period, annual questionnaires were administered to ascertain health outcomes of interest, in particular, death from any cause and cardiovascular disease. Investigators followed up with participants through the end of 2022.

At the time of device wear, researchers found that participants engaged in a median of 62 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity per week and accumulated a median of 5,183 steps per day. During a median follow-up of nine years, approximately 9 percent of participants had passed and roughly 4 percent developed cardiovascular disease.

Higher levels of physical activity (whether assessed as step counts or time in moderate to vigorous activity) were associated with large risk reductions in death or cardiovascular disease — the most active quarter of women reduced their risk by 30-40 percent compared with the least-active quarter. Individuals in the top three quartiles of physical activity outlived those in the bottom quartile by an average of 2.22 and 2.36 months respectively, based on time and step-based measurements, at nine years of follow-up. This survival advantage persisted regardless of differences in body mass index (BMI).

While both metrics are useful in portraying health status, Hamaya explained that each has its advantages and downsides. For one, step counts may not account for differences in fitness levels. For example, if a 20-year-old and 80-year-old both walk for 30 minutes at moderate intensity,their step counts may differ significantly. Conversely, steps are straightforward to measure and less subject to interpretation compared to exercise intensity. Additionally, steps capture even sporadic movements of everyday life, not just exercise, and these kinds of daily life activities likely are those carried out by older individuals.

“For some, especially for younger individuals, exercise may involve activities like tennis, soccer, walking, or jogging, all of which can be easily tracked with steps. However, for others, it may consist of bike rides or swimming, where monitoring the duration of exercise is simpler,” said Hamaya. “That’s why it’s important for physical-activity guidelines to offer multiple ways to reach goals. Movement looks different for everyone, and nearly all forms of movement are beneficial to our health.”

The authors note that this study incorporates only a single assessment of time and step-based physical activity metrics. Further, most women included in the study were white and of higher socioeconomic status. Finally, this study was observational, and thus causal relations cannot be proven. In the future, Hamaya aims to collect more data via a randomized controlled trial to better understand the relationship between time and step-based exercise metrics and health.

“The next federal physical activity guidelines are planned for 2028,” said senior author I-Min Lee, an epidemiologist in the Division of Preventive Medicine at BWH. “Our findings further establish the importance of adding step-based targets, in order to accommodate flexibility of goals that work for individuals with differing preferences, abilities and lifestyles.”

Disclosures: Hamaya reported receiving consulting fees from DeSC Healthcare, Inc., outside of the submitted work. Co-authors Christopher Moore, Julie Buring, Kelly Evenson, and Lee reported receiving institutional support from the National Institutes of Health during the conduct of the study.

This research was supported in part by the National Institutes of Health (CA154647, CA047988, CA182913, HL043851, HL080467, and HL09935), the National Cancer Institute (5R01CA227122), Office of the Director, Office of Disease Prevention, and Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research; and by the extramural research program at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

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Should we measure exercise in minutes or steps? — Harvard Gazette (2024)

FAQs

Should we measure exercise in minutes or steps? — Harvard Gazette? ›

Everything counts! A new study suggests that both step-count and time-based exercise goals are equally effective in reducing risks of heart disease and early death.

Are steps a good measure of activity? ›

Step counts and minutes are both useful ways to measure physical activity, a new study suggests. A greater number of steps per day or minutes of exercise per week are both associated with lower health risks, researchers found. Move more, sit less is still a good overall goal, regardless of how you track the movement.

How many minutes per day should be spent exercising according to the US Department of Agriculture? ›

The USDA Dietary Guidelines recommend 30 to 90 minutes of activity most or all days. Intensity. The more intense or strenuous the activity, the more calories you burn.

Is 10,000 steps a day realistic? ›

Your personal peak depends on your age. People younger than 60 should indeed walk 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day to get the best benefits in terms of life expectancy and cardiovascular health. People older than 60 show the most benefit between 6,000 and 8,000 steps.

What is the recommended number of steps that you should take each day to be considered active? ›

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend doing at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, but many people also aim to walk 10,000 steps a day. However, 10,000 steps may not suit everyone, all the time.

Is it better to track steps or minutes? ›

As to what we count, it probably doesn't matter. Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) in Boston, a founding member of Mass General Brigham, say both time and step-based exercise targets are equally associated with having a lower risk of early cardiovascular disease and early death.

Do steps count as exercise? ›

Walking is a form of low impact, moderate intensity exercise that has a range of health benefits and few risks. As a result, the CDC recommend that most adults aim for 10,000 steps per day . For most people, this is the equivalent of about 8 kilometers, or 5 miles.

What are the USDA guidelines for exercise? ›

For substantial health benefits, adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) to 300 minutes (5 hours) a week of moderate-intensity, or 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) to 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity, or an equivalent combination of ...

How many minutes of exercise does the government recommend? ›

Adults should aim to: do strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least 2 days a week. do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity a week or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week.

What is the 30 30 30 rule for weight loss? ›

The 30-30-30 rule involves eating 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up, followed by 30 minutes of low-intensity, steady state cardiovascular exercise. Beyond these steps, the 30-30-30 method doesn't require any changes to other meals or behaviors, restrictions or counting calories.

What is the recommended steps per day by age? ›

Several studies suggest that with more steps per day, all-cause mortality risk (risk of death from any cause) progressively decreases before leveling off at: 7,000-10,000 steps per day for adults aged 18-59 years. 6,000-8,000 steps per day for adults aged 60+ years. 7,500 steps per day for women aged 62-101 years.

What does the science say about walking 10,000 steps a day? ›

Getting in 9,000 to 10,000 daily steps cuts risk of death by more than a third and reduced cardiovascular disease risk by at least 20 percent, but even smaller increases showed benefits, researchers found in a study of more than 72,000 people. “Any activity is good activity.

Has anyone lost weight walking 10,000 steps a day? ›

According to a 2018 study published in the journal Obesity, walking 10,000 steps a day is associated with weight loss and weight management. Plus, it's a low-impact exercise, making it accessible for all fitness levels.

How far should a 70 year old walk every day? ›

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), healthy seniors should walk 7,000 – 10,000 steps per day. That's an average of three to three and a half miles throughout the course of a day.

Is walking 10,000 steps a day considered active? ›

Low active is 5,000 to 7,499 steps per day. Somewhat active is 7,500 to 9,999 steps per day. Active is more than 10,000 steps per day. Highly active is more than 12,500.

How many steps should I walk daily to lose weight? ›

Popular fitness trackers and pedometers encourage people to take 10,000 steps per day, and one 2016 study agrees that 10,000 steps are ideal. This works out to roughly 5 miles of walking. People interested in walking for weight loss should consistently hit at least 10,000 steps each day.

Is it better to count steps or miles? ›

For those who don't have a step tracker or who like to have a set distance to aim for, tracking miles can be an excellent method of getting your steps in. A five-mile walk equates to about 10,000 steps, which is a great goal for those looking to establish an active, healthy lifestyle.

Does walking 10000 steps count as active? ›

Sedentary is less than 5,000 steps per day. Low active is 5,000 to 7,499 steps per day. Somewhat active is 7,500 to 9,999 steps per day. Active is more than 10,000 steps per day.

Does walking count as activity? ›

Walking is a type of cardiovascular physical activity, which increases your heart rate. This improves blood flow and can lower blood pressure. It helps to boost energy levels by releasing certain hormones like endorphins and delivering oxygen throughout the body.

Does 5000 steps count as exercise? ›

"Though, it's important to acknowledge that not all things are absolute. 5,000 steps of vigorous-intensity exercise can provide you with excellent health benefits."

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