Is a Fitness Tracker a Good Idea?

In a day and age when we’re connected to technology do we really need to have one more gadget with us all day long? My answer is, we’re all individuals and we need to make our own decisions. I believe a fitness tracker is useful because it tells us where we’re at and can help motivate us to go further. In this blog post we’re going to explore how many steps are optimal for health and fat oxidation in the general public and also look at research related to menopausal women.

How Many Steps Are Needed?

We all have 10,000 steps ingrained in our minds, but where does that number come from? I went looking a little deeper and found a few different research articles pertaining to steps per day, but then also looked at research specific for women in menopause and beyond.

Meet Yourself Where You’re At

Physical inactivity is the fourth leading cause of death. My first recommendation is, if you’re sedentary, start moving more today. According to research, people who do not get an average of at least 8600 steps a day do not benefit as much from exercise when it comes to fat oxidation. This is the process by which the body breaks down fats, (triglycerides) which can be used as a source of energy. After all, isn’t this what most of us want to achieve? Fat burning.  

I then came across another paper with research about post-menopausal obesity which shows that 10,000 steps a day is not enough to prevent postmenopausal obesity. The subjects who had lower weight, BMI, waist-hip ratios and visceral fat were getting more than 12,500 steps per day compared to the group with higher weight, BMI, waist-hip ratios and visceral fat walking less than 7500 steps per day. This research puts those of us in menopause in a group that needs more daily physical activity.

The Menopausal Body

Once our estrogen levels decline, our cortisol levels naturally increase. Add in joints that don't have the lubrication and cushioning they once did and you may be saying to yourself, “What is it that I’m supposed to do?” My recommendations which are to move your body more throughout the day falls right into getting more than 12,500 steps a day. Include Zone 2 workouts for three hours per week. This could be six, 30-minute bouts of exercise or four 45-minute exercise sessions per week. If you’re already active, replacing one or two of your Zone 2 workouts with a 20–30-minute HIIT workout will help to keep your metabolic rate elevated throughout the day.  Include two strength training sessions per week in addition to these cardio workouts. Aside from these exercise sessions, research indicates that we also need to move more when we’re not exercising. As a country we do tend to live a more sedentary lifestyle. Use your imagination and come up with ways to add in more daily movement. Suggestions to up your daily average: park farther away from entrances, walk an errand instead of driving, take stairs instead of elevators and instead of going out for coffee or drinks with a friend, go for a walk while you visit. Even doing the laundry or taking the trash out or walking your dog can add up before you start your day. Then try to grow the number by 500-1000 at intervals throughout the day depending on how busy your schedule is.

In Conclusion:

• Walking 8600 steps a day on average will help you with fat oxidation during your workouts. Your workouts will become more effective, and you will stave off disease and premature death.
• Women in menopause and beyond should consider walking more than 12,500 a day to improve their health.
• Consider your workouts as part of your steps when aiming to achieve more than 12,500 steps a day. 
• Meet yourself where you’re at and grow from there. Don’t let a high number deter you from working on increasing your steps. Add in a few hundred every few days or set a goal to increase by 1000 steps by the end of the week. 
• Based on this research it does seem helpful to wear some form of a step counter to help you know where you’re at and help you reach your goals. 

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