Steps or Minutes? Both Count Toward Better Health and Fitness

When it comes to exercise advice in recent years, health experts have often focused on two options: 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (or 75 minutes of  vigorous-intensity exercise) or 10,000 walking steps per day—though that figure has been debated, with some researchers suggesting that health benefits tend to plateau after 7,000 steps. So, are steps or minutes the way to gauge your exercise productivity? According to a Harvard study, published recently in JAMA Internal Medicine, both approaches can be equally helpful in lowering your risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death. In the study, 14,000 healthy women (ages 62 and older) wore activity trackers and were followed for nine years. The average moderate-exercise time was about 62 minutes per week, while the average step count was about 5,200 per day. Regardless of their exercise type, the women who were the most active experienced the largest risk reductions compared with their peers who exercised the least per day and per week. Given the study findings and the ubiquity of pedometers and activity trackers, the study authors suggest that step counts be incorporated into national exercise guidelines to identify individuals who want to track their activity by the foot, rather than the minute. 

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