The idea that you should take 10,000 steps a day originated in Japan in the 1960s, but had no scientific basis. Researchers have now shown that, if we focus on the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, most of the benefits are seen at around 7,000 steps.

An international study (Journal of the American College of Cardiology) led by the University of Granada has provided the first scientific proof that 8,000 steps are needed to take per day to significantly reduce the risk of premature death. Given the average length of a human stride (76 cm for men and 67 cm for women), taking 8,000 steps is equivalent to walking approximately 6.4 kilometres a day.

Researchers have also shown that the pace at which we walk has additional benefits, and that it is better to walk fast than slow. With regard to the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, most of the benefits are seen at around 7,000 steps.

The study has for the first time shown that the more steps one takes, the better, and that there is no excessive number of steps that has been proven to be harmful to health.

It is a well-known fact that Gen Z has become a trendsetting group. From ‘quiet quitting’ to ‘bare minimum Mondays’, we have come across several of these trends in the last year. Now, another fad gaining a lot of attention on social media is ‘silent walking’. It simply means going on a stroll without phones or listening to music, podcasts, or any other technological distraction, as per News.com.au.  

Mady Maio, a podcaster, claims credit for “unintentionally starting a movement” that would “change your life.” In a TikTok video, she recounts that it was her partner who initially encouraged her to go on a stroll without any distractions. “There will be no AirPods, podcasts, or music. It’s just me, myself, and I,” she says in the video, which has almost five lakh views.

She added that she was extremely hesitant at first. “And at first I was like f*** no, my anxiety could never – which is probably what you’re thinking – but something within me was like let me just try it,” she said.

Ms Maio described her first two minutes of walking as “mayhem,” until she reached a “flow state,” when “suddenly you can… hear yourself.” “Look, the universe and your intuition comes to you through whispers, so if you’re never alone with your thoughts and you never get quiet you’re gonna miss the whispers. And those whispers are the most important to be paying attention to,” she added.

Ms Maio claimed that silent walking provided her with the “clarity” she had been seeking. She continued, “The brain fog lifted, suddenly all these ideas are flowing into me because I’m giving them space to enter. Look, if I can do it, you can do it. I promise, just try it out. … Give yourself the gift of getting quiet and listening to those whispers. I feel like when I walk in silence, my senses are on high alert. I smell everything, I hear everything, I am seeing everything, and it’s so grounding for me,” she said.

It is to be noted that the trend was invented by New York City influencer Arielle Lorre, who also promoted the benefits of silent walking on her podcast in April. However, it has now become popular after Ms Maio’s reel went viral on the internet. A lot of people found the trend very interesting but some found it hard to understand that the younger generation finds walking without a phone so innovative.

Is this real? This is just walking … like how people did it before technology,” one person wrote.

Another user added, “Gen Z just discovered walking.”

“What I don’t understand is how you can look at someone walking with no technology and go holy s***, what are they doing? That’s a new method. I haven’t seen this before,” a person wrote.