We’ve all heard that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends walking 10,000 steps daily, but is anyone really doing that? The people of New York sure do, let us tell you!
According to Mayo Clinic, the typical American averages anywhere from 3,000-4,000 steps per day. This equates to around one and a half to two miles per day. Yet, in a statistic from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New Yorkers average between 6,000-10,000 steps per day.
If you’re a New Yorker, you understand that sometimes all that walking just happens. Whether it’s a nice day and you choose to walk over the bridge from your office in Manhattan to your apartment in Brooklyn, or you spontaneously decide to embark on the Broad City trek, you can really end up raking up the miles without even thinking about it. And since less than 50% of New Yorkers own cars, walking is a common choice of transportation to get around the city.
New Yorkers also love their public green space, as many are subjected to lives in their cramped apartments. Thus, walking proves to be a wonderful way to get out and move around.
Walking can reduce the risk of certain health complications such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and depression, while improving muscle strength, flexibility, balance, and sleep. A study from the National Institutes of Health even showed that walking could reduce the risk of death. In a 10-year analysis, those who managed 8,000 steps/day or more saw at least a 50% lower risk of death than those who only did 4,000 steps/day.
So how much should you really be walking to maintain your health? Well, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services encourages 150 minutes of “moderate-intensity exercise” (vigorous walking) every week. Science doesn’t entirely back up the 10,000 step rule for everyone, but a JAMA study concluded that even taking 7,000 steps/day could help your health long term.