In recent years, the theory that walking 10,000 steps a day has been popularized as the key to Health Y weight lost.
However, according to a studywalking 10,000 steps a day will not actually prevent weight gain or lead to weight loss.
To find out if the thousands of steps actually made a difference when it came to weight, researchers at Brigham Young University Exercise The Science Department, in collaboration with colleagues from the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences, conducted a study on colleague freshmen
As part of the study, the researchers looked at 120 freshmen during their first six months of college as they participated in a step-counting experiment, with participants walking 10,000, 12,500, or 15,000 steps per day, six days a week for 24 hours. weeks.
In addition to steps, the researchers also tracked the students’ caloric intake and weight.
According to the findings, which were published in the Obesity Magazinethe number of steps did not prevent students from gaining weight, even among those who walked 15,000 steps a day.
Rather, the researchers found that by the end of the term, the students had gained an average of 3.5 pounds, about the amount typically gained during a student’s first year of school, according to earlier studies cited.
“The lack of attenuation in weight gain between step groups was surprising, as physical activity increased progressively with each step recommendation and physical activity increases energy expenditure and alters energy balance,” the researchers wrote.
Of the findings, lead author Bruce Bailey, professor of exercise science at BYU, concluded: “Exercise alone is not always the most effective way to lose weight.
“If you track steps, you might have a benefit for increasing physical activity, but our study showed that it won’t translate to maintaining weight or preventing weight gain.”
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However, the researchers noted that the increased steps had an overall positive impact on the students’ “patterns of physical activity,” which they stated “may have other health and emotional benefits.”
“The biggest benefit of step recommendations is getting people out of a sedentary lifestyle,” Bailey. “Although it won’t prevent weight gain on its own, more steps are always better for you.”
Previous studies on the benefits of walking 10,000 steps a day also found that the technique may have no effect on weight and that vigorous exercise is often More beneficial.
This article was originally published in January 2021.
