Genelia Deshmukh ‘feels good’ about walking 20,000 steps; how many steps should one take for better health?

“And its 20K steps. It doesn’t happen every day but when it does, it feels good,” she said on Instagram Stories.

Take a look.

Genelia Deshmukh recently spoke about completing 20,000 steps (Source: Genelia Deshmukh/Instagram Stories)

The Boys actor, who recently opened up about her weight loss journey, has been taking her step count very seriously.

But is there an ideal number of steps one must take daily? To understand this and more, we reached out to experts. Here’s what they said.

 

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A post shared by Genelia Deshmukh (@geneliad)

Why do steps matter?

Whether you’re a desk jockey or an active type, taking an increased number of steps should be an important part of your daily routine, Varun Rattan, co-founder, The Body Science Academy, told indianexpress.com.

That is because the benefits of increased activity are endless: from improved cardiovascular health to weight loss to increasing energy levels, and more.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, every healthy adult aged 18–65 years should participate in moderate-intensity aerobic activities for a minimum of 30 minutes a day for five days a week, or vigorous-intensity aerobic activities for a minimum of 20 minutes a day for three days a week, or a combination of both.

You can use a pedometer to count your steps (representative) (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

How many steps do you take each day?

“If you want to get more active and improve your overall health, you might set a goal to walk for a certain duration or mileage. However, there is no magic number of steps required to improve one’s health. Minimum step count varies depending on the person’s goals and baseline fitness. Individuals who take just 2,500 steps a day can still benefit from walking 4,000 steps a day, for example,” Rattan added.

Dr Sushma Singh, consulting physiotherapist, Masina Hospital, Byculla, Mumbai is of the opinion that according to various researches, 7,000-8000 steps are counted as “optimum”. “While 10,000 steps are considered the norm to keep fit, 20,000 steps may be overstraining. It can lead to dehydration, cramps in your lower limbs, and dizzyness,” Dr Singh said while stressing that it can even hamper one’s fitness goals.

How to set your goal?

According to Rattan, “setting small, achievable goals is simple to follow”. “It will not only help you stay motivated and committed, but will also make it easier for you to enjoy the process of walking and keep it interesting. Not only can bigger targets be intimidating, they may also result in bodily discomfort and put you off of walking,” Rattan mentioned.

However, if you planning to go beyond 10,000 steps you need to increase it gradually and do it under the guidance of an expert, said Dr Pradip Shah, general physician, Fortis Hospital, Mulund. “Also, every workout is not designed for everybody. Hence, we need to be cautious while planning our exercise or workout routine to not overexert,” Dr Shah said.

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