How Many Steps Per Day Are Enough for Children and Adolescents?
Author Information
Author(s): Catrine Tudor-Locke, Cora L. Craig, Michael W. Beets, Sarahjane Belton, Greet M. Cardon, Scott Duncan, Yoshiro Hatano, David R. Lubans, Timothy S. Olds, Anders Raustorp, David A. Rowe, John C. Spence, Shigeho Tanaka, Steven N. Blair
Primary Institution: Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Hypothesis
What is the appropriate number of steps per day for children and adolescents to meet physical activity guidelines?
Conclusion
Children should aim for 12,000 to 16,000 steps per day, while adolescents should aim for 8,000 to 11,700 steps per day to achieve health benefits.
Supporting Evidence
- Boys average 12,000 to 16,000 steps/day and girls average 10,000 to 13,000 steps/day.
- Adolescents' step counts decrease to about 8,000-9,000 steps/day by age 18.
- 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is associated with 10,000-14,000 steps/day in preschool children.
- For primary school children, 60 minutes of MVPA corresponds to 13,000 to 15,000 steps/day for boys and 11,000 to 12,000 steps/day for girls.
- 10,000 to 11,700 steps/day may be associated with 60 minutes of MVPA in adolescents.
Takeaway
Kids need to walk a lot every day to stay healthy—like 12,000 steps for boys and 10,000 for girls. Teens should aim for about 10,000 steps.
Methodology
This is a literature review that compiles and analyzes existing studies on step counts and physical activity in children and adolescents.
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from the variability in study designs and populations included in the review.
Limitations
The recommendations are based on limited studies and may not apply universally across different populations.
Participant Demographics
The review includes children aged 4-19 years from various countries, with a focus on boys and girls.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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