OAWH: Older Adults and Walking for Health

Older adults should take part in at least 2.5 hours of moderate  to vigorous activity each week. A walking program is an  inexpensive, easy and convenient way to improve overall  well-being and to enhance quality of life.  

What are the Benefits of Walking?

Increasing physical activity through walking can help with:

• decreasing blood glucose levels  
• decreasing systolic blood pressure
• reducing the risk of coronary heart disease
• reducing high cholesterol
• reducing body fat
• bone density
• flexibility
• osteoarthritis

What is a pedometer?

• a device that tracks number of steps taken
• some pedometers simply measure steps
• some pedometers track distance walked and calories burned

What Does a Pedometer Do?  

• provides immediate feedback on number of steps taken • measures current activity level
• assists in tracking and setting goals over time to help  increase physical activity

What are the Limitations of a Pedometer?

• does not measure intensity of physical activity
• does not measure duration of physical activity

Using a Pedometer

• test pedometer: clip on belt, walk twenty steps, stop and  check pedometer for accuracy
• wear pedometer for one week  
• track and record step count at end of each day
• after seven days add daily steps and divide total number  of steps from that week by seven  
• this number is the baseline number of steps needed for  walking program

Recommendations for Daily Step Goals1

The average sedentary North American accumulates approximately  3,500 – 5,000 steps each day. Research suggests that, in general,  the average North American should increase their daily walking  activity to approximately 7,000 – 10,000 per day. The guide below  will help determine an individual’s current activity level based on  their daily walking activity.

If total daily steps are:

• under 5,000 per day - categorized as having a sedentary lifestyle
• between 5,000 & 7,499 per day - categorized as “low active”
• between 7,500 & 9,999 - categorized as “somewhat active” • 12,500 or more - categorized as “highly active”

1 Government of Ontario, Active 2010 (2005). Using Your Pedometer.

Starting a Walking Program

Prior to beginning a walking program an assessment of physical  readiness from a regulated health professional is strongly  recommended. A health professional can recommend a walking  program tailored according to the limitations imposed by chronic  disease or disability.

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Km goal: start at Week 1 with about 2 km and work up to about  8 km by Week 10

Steps per day using pedometer: establish baseline.  Increase number of steps by 500 each week until goal reached.

Click on the link below for printable worksheets.