We now know that a sedentary lifestyle kills twice as much as obesity and that to keep fit and maintain health, you would have to walk 10,000 steps a day. This is why, at the initiative of Prof. Philippe Amouyel, professor of public health at the CHRU Lille, a vast prevention program called 10,000 steps, the challenge for life should be launched in France at the start of the school year.
Its challenge: to change the behavior of the French population vis-à-vis sedentary lifestyle (we only take, on average, 4,000 to 5,000 steps per day) and encourage them to take up the challenge. As the doctor explains in an interview to Why Doctor, the activity of each participant will be evaluated by a connected pedometer and it will be possible to follow the progress of the challenge on a dedicated site. Doctors will follow them for 6 to 8 months.
“We now know that 10,000 steps are a good indicator of physical activity. We also know that a pedometer allows you to better control your physical activity. We finally know that for a health operation to bear fruit, it is necessary that it is extended over time. It is by combining all this and using social networks that we have imagined this original challenge “adds Professor Amouyel.
How to go from 3,000 to 10,000 steps per day
Start by walking 1,000 to 2,000 more steps each day than you normally do. The ideal is to reach an average of 6,000 steps per day after two weeks. Continuing at this pace, first force yourself to walk between 8,000 and 10,000 steps at least 5 times during the month. To have an idea, we estimate that 10,000 steps correspond to a slow walk (80 steps / min) of 1h30, or to a very fast walk (140 steps / min) of 50 min. Then increase the number of “10,000-step days” by adding 20 minutes of cycling or 30 minutes of scooter to your schedule: that counts as much as 3,000 steps.
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