“The average American woman today gets only about 400 steps a day,” says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That’s how many steps you take each day during your daily routine (assuming you’re not an hour late at work). But that figure is still far below what it was pre-COVID, which was 1,600 steps per day (as reported by the CDC) in 2020.
The fact that Americans are averaging so few steps per day is concerning because it can lead to burnout and other health problems. One study found that those who took fewer than 300 steps per day had higher odds of developing heart disease than their counterparts who walked more than 1,000 steps daily. A recent study conducted by researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital found that people who made less than 600 steps per day were three times as likely to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease compared with those who made more than 2,000 daily steps.
In addition to being sedentary, another risk factor of the decline in physical activity was smoking. Smokers regularly spend much less time exercising than non-smokers and they tend to have lower body mass index — a measure of body fat — levels. Some studies also have linked chronic stress to a reduction in physical activity, including elevated cortisol levels, which might contribute to why many adult Americans are now walking less than before the pandemic.
However, experts say that this issue isn’t unique to the United States. Research shows that around the world, some countries experience similar declines in physical activity. According to the World Health Organization, China, India, and several European nations have experienced a drop of up to 30% or 40% in physical activity levels since 2007.
In short, many countries — particularly those where there are no healthy social activities — have seen a significant increase in sedentary behavior due to poor nutrition and limited access to healthcare services. This can lead to major mental health issues, including depression and anxiety. It can also exacerbate existing health disparities — meaning more diseases, illnesses, disability, and deaths.
“We know that the biggest factors driving cardiovascular disease globally are high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, unhealthy diets, low activity, and a lack of exercise,” said Dr. James O’Connor, senior medical director at Heart & Stroke Center at Mass General Brigham.
“People must be active to live longer” is one of the messages that the WHO released in December 2022 on its website. Another message shared in the same report reads, “As young adults gain weight and age, there is a greater chance of developing hypertension, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. These conditions can reduce life expectancy in older individuals.”
So, if you’re struggling with your physical and mental health, you should give these stats a read and see whether there are any changes you can make to improve your health. If you’re looking for resources for getting fit, consider visiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital’s Healthy Living Resource. And if you’re looking for new workout gear, try checking out Fitbik Studios’ collection of fitness apparel and accessories for women and men.
It’s important to note that all of the above statistics are from the CDC, which only provides estimates on its own data. Therefore, the numbers may vary slightly from year to year.
0 Comments