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While a pedometer is a great way to tell you how far you have walked, it won't tell you if the workout is vigorous enough for your heart health. Now researchers from San Diego State University have determined that 100 steps a minute or faster is the best pace for a moderate-intensity workout, reports Reuters Health. Do the math. If you exercise for 30 minutes, which is the recommended amount of activity, you need to take 3,000 steps in that half-hour. Does that sound like too much, too fast? You don't have to do it all at once. Break those 3,000 steps into several shorter exercise sessions throughout the day, such as three 10-minute sessions of 1,000 steps each. "Because health benefits can be achieved with bouts of exercise lasting at least 10 minutes, a useful starting point is to try and accumulate 1,000 steps in 10 minutes, before building up to 3,000 steps in 30 minutes," lead researcher Dr. Simon J. Marshall, of San Diego State University, said in a news release announcing the study findings. Marshall's conclusions are based on exercise tests he and his team gave to 97 healthy adults with an average age of 32. They found that men needed to walk at a pace of 92 to 102 steps per minute to achieve a moderately intense workout for their hearts, while the range for women was between 91 and 115 steps per minute. The takeaway: Use your pedometer along with your wristwatch to ensure you are working out intensely enough. The study findings were published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. --From the Editors at Netscape |
For the best workout, aim for a pace of 100 steps per minute, which is intense enough to raise your heart rate and improve your physical fitness.
