6,000-8,000 steps per day: for adults aged 60 and older, according to various research institutions, including a round-up review of research posted by the University of North Carolina's Gillings School of Global Public Health.
For a 70-year-old, the general recommendation for daily walking as a form of exercise is about 30 minutes a day, which can be broken up into shorter sessions if needed. This typically translates to approximately 1.5 to 2 miles depending on walking speed.
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.
The CDC recommends that adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, or about 20 minutes per day. Depending on your pace, this could mean walking at least one mile per day.
For a 70-year-old, the general recommendation is to aim for about 7000 to 10000 steps per day. This range can help maintain overall health, support cardiovascular fitness, and manage weight. However, individual circumstances such as health status, mobility, and fitness levels should be considered.
The research suggests that 6,000-8,000 steps per day can help reduce the risk of all-cause mortality in seniors 60 years or older. No connection was found between the intensity of the steps and how long a person lived. In other words, the intensity of steps wasn't related to whether a person died earlier in life.
Something as simple as a daily brisk walk can help you live a healthier life. For example, regular brisk walking can help you: Maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat. Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer and type 2 diabetes.
Based on an average step length of 2 1/2 feet, 10,000 steps is roughly equal to 5 miles. However, due to factors such as your height and walking speed, this number can vary. Online calculators can help determine how many miles you'll cover in 10,000 steps.
Initially, you may notice enhanced mood and energy levels, thanks to the release of endorphins. Over time, the benefits extend to increased muscular strength and endurance, improved joint mobility, and a more efficient metabolic rate.
What time of day is best for seniors to walk? A study from February 2023 concludes that exercising in the afternoon might be especially beneficial for seniors' longevity.
Things to think about with Senior runners:
Studies have shown that if you keep your running mileage under 40 miles/week, your risk for injury decreased. In addition to running, it is important to also perform strength training as you age.
Brisk walking can benefit a person's overall health and may help slow aging. Though the pace can vary between people, a person should aim for about 100 steps per minute to achieve a brisk walk.
Walking in place does contribute towards overall step count.
"In one small study, older adults participated in a 10-week exercise program of either walking or walking plus resistance training," explains Fredericson. "Both groups showed improved muscle mass in thigh muscles. However, participants who also did resistance training showed greater improvement."
Every week, adults 65 and older need:
Aerobic physical activity that includes: At least 150 minutes at moderate intensity. This could be 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.
Walking 10,000 steps daily offers a slew of physical and mental health benefits. For example, it can support healthy weight loss, improve joint health, boost mood and brain function and aid recovery. Also, walking is a low-impact exercise that's accessible to most people.
Remember: 1500 steps equals about 15 minutes of walking & 3000 steps equals about 30 minutes of walking. Your aim for week 1 is to add in an extra 1500 steps on three or more days this week to your baseline steps.
So, if you want to aim for one mile of steps, you will need to climb 3,727 steps (63,360 divided by 17 inches). And to cover 3,727 steps, you'd need to walk between 232 and 310 flights of stairs. The average number of steps in a flight of stairs is between 12 and 16 steps.
Can a person lose belly fat by walking? Regular aerobic exercise such as walking may be an effective way to lose belly fat. A 2014 study supports this and concluded that walking could help to burn body fat, including fat around the waist and within the abdominal cavity.
“Walking also engages various muscle groups, including your legs, core and even your upper body when incorporating arm movement. “Taking regular rest days from walking allows the body to recover, repair any minor muscle or joint strains and prevent chronic issues from developing.”
Seniors should aim for about 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, similar to younger adults. This translates to walking around 3 to 4 kilometers daily, spread over the week. Regular walking helps in managing chronic conditions, improving balance, and enhancing mental health.
How Much Should I Walk? 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.
While optimal speeds vary with each individual's age and fitness, a pace below 20 minutes per mile is generally considered average, and below 18 minutes per miles is brisk. Essentially all the benefit came from lower heart-related deaths. Walking pace had no effect on cancer rates.
“Normal” walking speeds for community-dwelling older adults who are healthy generally range from 0.90 to 1.30 m/s,9,12 whereas walking speeds ≤0.60 to 0.70 m/s are strong risk factors for poor health outcomes.