Taking a walk while enjoying your favourite music or podcast can be a great experience, but can it really improve your health? The truth is, even small lifestyle changes, such as walking a little more each day, have the potential to have a big impact on your health. In fact, your daily step count is a vital sign of overall health.
Dr Dmitry Yaranov, a cardiologist from Tennessee, US, who is known as ‘Heart transplant Doc’ on Instagram, highlighted this in an October 22 Instagram post and said, “We measure pulse, breathing, temperature, and blood pressure — but the most powerful signal of all might be hiding in your phone.”
Your daily step count is ‘an X-ray of your heart’
In his post titled ‘The vital sign your doctor never measures but your phone does every day’, Dr Yaranov spoke about the importance of daily step count as a vital sign, stating it’s an indicator of overall health, reflecting heart, brain, nerves, joints, and motivation.
He said: “Your daily step count isn’t just about fitness. It’s an X-ray of your heart, brain, nerves, joints, and motivation — all working together. When your steps drop, it’s rarely random. It’s your body whispering that something’s off.”
‘Movement is medicine’
Dr Yaranov suggested that a drop in step count can be an early warning sign of underlying issues like frailty, depression, or vascular disease. He added that step count could be considered the fifth vital sign, and that movement is medicine. Body vital signs are basic measurements of the body’s essential functions, including temperature, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure.
“Frailty, depression, vascular disease — they all leave footprints in your step data. It’s the only ‘vital sign’ that reflects both biology and willpower. Maybe it’s time to admit: movement is medicine. And your step count might just be your fifth vital sign,” he said.
Increasing your daily step count may seem overwhelming or time-consuming, but with a few simple lifestyle changes and modifications, you can reach your fitness goals easily. Click here to check out some tips to increase your step counts.
