Medically Clear # 18: On Counting Steps
Recently, my brother gave me a friendly gift of competition. With just 18 months age difference between us, sibling rivalry is nothing new. Not that long ago we competed on the basketball court, but these days, due to the ravages of middle-aged arthritis, we’re better suited to more pedestrian exploits such as…counting steps!
Listen to the Medically Clear Podcast on iTunes here or here
So, about a month ago my brother introduced me to the twenty-million-strong Fitbit nation. Since then I’ve been rocking a FitbIt Zip and have earned buzzy 10,000 steps-in-a-day “badges” and one “Penguin March” award for my first 70 miles walked. I have tried my bit in my pocket, on my shoe, in my gym bag, on the family dog, and even in the dryer.
I have read up on Fitbit and other step counters in the press and scientific literature. I have even committed the Fitbit jingle to memory: Fitbit.SmartFIT…BallFIT…HikeFIT, DaddyFIT..GetFIT…GlowFIT! And I have QuestionedIT, ResearchedIT and AnsweredIT! Here we goFIT…
— Should I be counting my steps?
Is counting steps a worthwhile endeavor? If you are an uber-active athlete — the type who does yoga in the morning, jogs at midday, and rides a bike in the evening (that sounds fantastic, by the way) then I suspect that counting steps is probably not worth your time. There are many other ways to measure your activity level and you’re not really missing out, unless, of course, you think knowing your steps (and perhaps bragging about them) is fun, in which case, go for it.
On the other hand, if you have fewer athletic outlets or higher intensity exercise isn’t practical then counting steps could make a significant impact on your health. Particularly if you tend to gravitate to couches, elevators, and valet parking. And, you may even find that you really enjoy that little dopamine squirt the buzz buzz of your phone gives you when you hit your daily step goal.
— If I am counting my steps, how should I count them?
If you do decide to count steps, is the Fitbit the best choice? The answer depends on how much you value accuracy. The traditional “gold standard” is an old fashioned pedometer, like the Yamax SW-200, which uses a coil spring mechanism to keep count. The downside to these devices is that they lack the technical and social features of step-counters that link to, or work on, your smartphone. Smartphone step-counting applications themselves use GPS data plus or minus an accelerometer (a device that turns bodily movements or acceleration into data measurements.) A recent study in Bio Medical Central Research Notes compared these technologies in accuracy during five different scenarios and found widely divergent values. My own informal experiments with two Fitbits (mine and my wife’s) did little to boost my confidence that the Fitbit 3-axis accelerometer technology is much better.
Over the course of a day, a Fitbit in my pocket counted 800 fewer steps than one on my shoe. The next day, the Fitbit on my wife’s shoe registered 2,000 more steps than the one in her pocket! And, I registered 883 steps purely by storing my Fitbit in my gym bag in the back of the car and 6000 or so by giving it a prolonged spin in the dryer. So, bottom-line, if you are a stickler for accuracy, buyer bewareFIT.
If you still like the idea of counting your steps with a Fitbit, you can mitigate the discrepancies by being consistent with how and where you apply your device — use the same physical location each day and, with the Fitbit at least, recognize that your pocket may not be as accurate as your wrist or waist.
Finally, if I am counting my steps, what should my daily goal be?
So, at this point, if you are still thinking you will get into the step-counting business, the next question is, how many steps per day should you shoot for? By far the most widely published goal is 10,000 steps a day (the pre-set goal for Fitbit customers.) With the Fitbit, once you hit 10,000, a properly configured phone will give you a buzz buzz of approval. But is there any magic in this 10,000 number? New evidence suggests that there might be, and in a way you might not necessarily expect.
In Journal of Aging and Health, Vallance and colleagues examined the association in people 55 or older between steps per day in three categories (less than 7,000, 7,000 to 10,000, and 10,000 and over) and scores on a phone-administered quality of life survey. Participants in the high-step group had significantly better scores on mental, physical and global health scores independent of obesity markers (such as waist circumference and body mass index) than those in the low-step group.
So, it would seem that the makers of Fitbit and other step-trackers are onto something. Research shows that people over the age of 55 who take more steps may be happier and healthier that those who do not. There may be other equally valid means of achieving these benefits, but steps are so easy to count and to take! Want more of them? Don’t circle three times to find the closest parking spot, just park and amble; march up the stairs; promenade the dog rather than letting it promenade itself; stroll in place while you chat on the phone. And finally, maybe that Bit would benefit from a daily spinFIT in the dryer? There you go bro, look at that, I think I’m developing a bit of a step-wise game plan. GAME On!
Listen to the Medically Clear Podcast on iTunes here or here
Next up, Medically Clear #17 on the “life tax” of leadership
