How Much Movement Is Too Much?

In this day of fitness trackers, walking desks, marathons and more….I often get asked — is there an amount of movement that could actually be too much for my body?

First and foremost, the most important thing to keep in mind when it comes to our physical health and activity is that “movement = health.” Any movement is good movement. We can almost always move more than we are currently moving, and doing so is good for our bodies and overall health.

What’s also true is the old saying — “everything in moderation. Overdoing any activity can also have negative effects. The adage I always remind my patients of is “listen to your body,” and I firmly believe in that.

Our bodies are the biggest indicator of what they can and cannot tolerate. So while we do want to gently nourish and encourage our bodies to increase our capacity and push our limits, we also want to be mindful and respectful towards our bodies and not overdue activities that can result in long-term issues.

I tell patients it is far better to walk 1 mile every single day for 10 days than to walk 10 miles in one day, but then not be able to walk for 2 to 3 weeks because you are in pain or have hurt yourself.

I know in the age of fitness trackers, it is very common to hear “10,000 steps a day.” (1 mile is equal to about 2000 steps. So 10,000 steps equals about 5 miles of walking or activity per day.) While this is great for the average human, it is not true that this is ideal for all patients. Some studies have shown as little as 6,000 steps to be adequate, especially if you are not used to moving at all. Again, the goal is to start low, go slow, and then build up your tolerance.

Other studies have found that, while for adults each 20 to 60, the goal is 8 -10,000 steps a day, for those above the age of 60, walking 6 -8000 steps a day may be plenty.

So is something as walking too much in a day? The short answer is, there is not. Health experts agree that while more is better for the body, the immediate benefits of walking seem to plateau around 10,000 steps a day, and perhaps that is why that is the number we so often hear set as a goal. For example, walking 10 miles a day is not necessarily significantly more beneficial than walking 5 miles a day. Therefore, while increasing our activity can only benefit our bodies, there is not necessarily a linear correlation to the benefit in walking twice the amount in a day. Especially if we are talking about the overall health, maintenance and fitness of our bodies. If we are training for something greater, like a marathon, or cardiovascular endurance, then, of course the longer distances we can push our body, the better — for our heart health and for other activities.

The way to build up to your tolerance is by going low and going slow. The second factor is consistency. For example, if you were walking 5 miles a day, I would not recommend increasing right away to 6 miles a day and then rapidly increase from there. Even going from 5 to 6 miles a day, while it only may seem like a 1 mile difference, is a 20% increase in the demand that you are putting on your body. This is a big deal and a big ask of your body. Instead, I would recommend maybe increasing from 5 to 5.25 or 5.5 miles a day for about a week, and then slowly go up a quarter to half a mile at a time. You want to go slow to allow your body to build its tolerance, while also coming up with a schedule and plan for how to reach your end goal.

The other factor that is paramount in consideration, is making sure that we are taking the proper steps before and after the walking. Warming up, stretching and cooling down are just as important if not more important than the walk and distance you are doing. This helps to ensure that our muscles have adequately loosened up and cooled down and are not just being put to the test right away, helping to prevent injury.

How do you know if you are overdoing your daily activity? My best advice is “listen to your body.” Having minor aches and pains when you increase your physical demands is ok. But if you feel a continuous ache or pain longer than a few hours or a couple of days, despite proper rest, anti-inflammtory medication or ice, you may have pulled a muscle or strained a tendon or ligament. The way to prevent this is to heed the recommendations above. Give your body grace and you should be back out and walking in a few days. Of course, if you are not sure whether your injury is more serious or not, always seek the advice of a medical professional.

Additionally, special considerations should be taken by patient populations who already have a pre-existing condition, such as diabetes, history of heart attack, lung issues, etc. Again, the goal for these patient populations is for overall health and movement….in a safe way. They should proceed with caution and not necessarily worry about trying to maximize or increase their activity tolerance to goals that are beyond moderation.