One step closer – the impact of daily step count on health and how many steps should be taken per day

Abstract

Introduction: Physical activity is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. Walking is an open-accessed form of physical activity that requires no specialized equipment and can be performed at practically any moment of the day. In recent years, it has gained increasing interest and stands out as one of the most widely recommended forms of exercise. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the number of studies focusing on the impact of mean daily step count on health has been growing each year, with a significant surge observed since 2017. Undoubtedly, this topic is relevant to current health trends. Hitherto, there are no evidence-based recommendations regarding the number of steps that should be taken per day. Within this review, we conducted an analysis on the impact of daily step count on the risk of death and the incidence of selected diseases. Aim of the study: The aim of our study is to review of current literature on the influence of daily step count on both physical and mental health. Materials and Methods: We reviewed the literature available in PubMed, using the key words: „daily step count”, „step count mental health”, „ physical activity”, „pedometr”. Results: The daily step count can prominently impact the improvement and maintenance of human health and significant health benefits can be achieved by taking 4000-10000 steps per day. Summary: Research has shown that individuals who take more steps throughout the day are less prone to certain diseases, experience milder symptoms, exhibit better overall physical fitness, and have a lower risk of all-cause mortality. In the upcoming years, we can expect further studies aimed at identifying the most optimal daily step count.

Keywords

• physical activity
• daily step count
• physical health
• mental health