The truth about those 10,000 daily steps

steps
Young adult woman walking up the stairs with sun sport background.

If you or your staff are one of the many participants in the 10,000 steps a day workplace pedometer challenge, there’s something important you need to know.

Taking 10,000 steps a day is an excellent baseline physical activity – assisting in the reversal of the sedentary lifestyle health effects we all face – but our bodies need more.

You see there is a vast difference between physical activity and exercise. While taking the stairs is an excellent opportunity to get mobile at work – and it may even feel like a workout the first few times – it isn’t technically exercise. It’s simply physically moving your body from point A to B.

Exercise, on the other hand, is generally a planned activity that lifts your heart rate, involves exertion, and is structured with a repetitive nature. The 2014 Australian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines recommend adults participate in a minimum of 150 minutes (2 ½ hours) of moderate to intensive aerobic activity a week to achieve good health: riding a bike, taking a yoga class or participating in a team sport that gets your heart pumping without causing too much discomfort. The alternative is 75 minutes (one hour and 15 minutes) of vigorous physical intensity: weights, running, competitive team sports and fitness classes that draws on your stored energy and gets your heart thumping.

A daily 30 minutes of moderate physical activity may seem a reasonable proposition. However, to further reduce the risk of some cancers and unwanted weight gain, it is recommended exercise levels be increased to 300 minutes a week. This is especially important if we are not reaching those baseline numbers of 10,000 steps a day and it’s where the pedometer challenge can mislead and bring many of us unstuck.

There is so much emphasis placed on reaching those 10,000 steps each day that we often stop there. In reality, this figure should be considered a minimum with additional emphasis placed on lifting your heart rate.

And before you put your hand up to proclaim there’s not a spare moment in your day for exercise, let alone a full hour of it, just hear me out. (I promise you don’t need to spend your lunch hour belting yourself in the gym)

The good news is that research supports either a collection of 10-minute bursts of activity, culminating in 30-60 minutes or one continuous session of activity – so there’s no need to find another hour in your already busy day. 10-15 minutes before breakfast, 10-15 minutes during lunch and 10-15 minutes while the spuds are simmering, in conjunction with the 10,000 daily steps, will have an enormously positive impact on your health and wellbeing.

So looking back at those stair climbs, if you’re putting in ten minutes of climbing effort, then yes, consider that exercise!

Whether you’re at home caring for children, sitting behind a steering wheel all day or at a workstation that inhibits movement, we must all take responsibility for a personal paradigm shift regarding our physical activity and exercise. We do have enough time to exercise and we must be creative in seizing opportunities to gain that action our health and well-being is screaming out for.

And don’t be put off if people stare and giggle the first few times. A bit of laughter in the office might actually inspire your colleagues, family or friends to join in so they too start experiencing the benefits!

Regular exercise in the workplace will have you and your staff fitter, stronger and more focused with improved feelings of vitality and self-esteem, regardless of weight or appearance changes. And that has to be good for business.

Penni Lamprey, Director, Happy Healthy Staff