Walking has been considered for years to be one of the simplest, most accessible, and most effective physical activities for maintaining health. It does not require a gym membership, special equipment, or extraordinary physical fitness, and many choose it as part of an attempt to lose weight or maintain a healthier lifestyle. But despite the immense popularity of the 10,000 steps a day goal, a new study indicates that the number that might actually matter is lower.
The study, which was presented at a conference of the European Association for the Study of Obesity, attempted to answer one of the most frustrating questions in the world of weight loss: How do you maintain weight after losing it? After all, many succeed in shedding kilograms during the initial period of a diet, but within a few years regain most of the weight and sometimes even more.
According to the researchers, about 80 percent of people who suffer from overweight or obesity and succeed in losing weight, will regain it within three to five years. This is one of the reasons why health experts in recent years have been looking for simple and applicable solutions that will help maintain results over time.
8,500 steps – and the weight begins to drop
As part of the new study, researchers analyzed data from several clinical trials that together included about 4,000 participants. The researchers compared people who participated in lifestyle modification programs that included a diet, recommendations for increasing physical activity, and tracking the number of steps, to people who only dieted or received no treatment at all.
The result was clear: Participants who combined a daily walk and reached an average of about 8,500 steps a day succeeded in losing weight in a significantly greater manner. On average, they lost about 4 percent of their body weight, which is about 4 kilograms.
But what interested the researchers in particular was not only the weight loss, but the ability to maintain it over time. According to them, people who managed to persist in this level of activity even after the diet period had a lower chance of regaining weight.
It is also advisable to pay attention to what you eat
The number 10,000 steps has become in recent years almost an unwritten law in the health and fitness world, but in fact, its origin is not entirely scientific. The target was actually born in a marketing campaign in Japan in the 1960s for a pedometer, and only later was adopted in the fitness and health world as a popular daily goal.
Today, more and more studies show that even a lower number of steps can provide significant health benefits. In fact, there are studies that found that even 7,000 steps a day are associated with a decrease in the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and premature mortality.
The great advantage of walking is that it is an activity that is relatively easy to integrate into the life routine. It is not an intensive workout that requires exceptional effort, but a natural action that can be performed almost anywhere and at any age. For many people, this very simplicity is what makes the habit sustainable over time.
The researchers note that walking does not only affect calorie burning. It also assists in improving the body's sensitivity to insulin, contributes to balancing blood sugar levels, reduces stress, and improves mood. All of these may also indirectly affect the ability to persist in the weight loss process.
The obesity epidemic continues to expand globally at an alarming rate. According to data from the World Obesity Atlas, by the year 2035 about 30 percent of the world's population is expected to suffer from obesity. The significance is not only aesthetic. Overweight and obesity are linked to an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, various types of cancer, as well as mental health problems and an impairment in the quality of life.
Beyond that, obesity creates an enormous economic burden on healthcare systems worldwide. The treatment of accompanying diseases, hospitalization days, medications, and lost workdays cost countries billions of dollars each year.
In recent years, experts have been trying to understand how the struggle against obesity can be made more effective. If in the past the emphasis was mainly on short-term diets and rapid weight loss, today more and more researchers emphasize the importance of long-term habit change.
This is precisely where walking enters the picture. Unlike extreme programs that are difficult to persist in, walking is an action that most people can perform on a daily basis. Even someone who is not a regular trainee can start gradually, for example by getting off one station before the destination, climbing stairs instead of using the elevator, or taking a short walk in the evening.
The researchers emphasize that there is no need to perform all the steps consecutively. It is possible to accumulate them throughout the entire day, and the meaning is that even small changes in lifestyle habits may accumulate to a significant impact.
Nonetheless, it is important to remember that walking alone is not a magic solution. Maintaining a balanced diet, sufficient sleep, and stress management are an integral part of the process. In addition, the study does not prove that walking is the direct cause of weight loss, but rather points to a connection between consistent daily activity and long-term success in maintaining weight.
And yet, the message emerging from the study is relatively optimistic: One does not have to engage in grueling workouts or impossible goals to improve health and assist the body in maintaining weight. Sometimes, a small change and a simple daily habit can make a much bigger difference than it seems to us.