«The more the merrier»
Just 4,000 steps a day could reduce the risk of premature death, researchers say. But the more steps you take, the better for your health.
Walking at least 4000 steps a day significantly reduces the risk of early death, while 2337 steps a day will reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases, but according to a new meta-analysis of studies, “the more the better.”
“The more steps you walk, the better your health will be, and every 500-1000 step increase per day can be associated with a significant reduction in mortality,” says new study author Dr. Maciej Banach, deputy editor-in-chief. European Society of Cardiology.
According to CNN, less than 5,000 steps a day is considered a “sedentary lifestyle”, according to a study.
“We have shown that every 1,000 steps per day increase is associated with a 15% reduction in the risk of death from any cause, and every 500 steps per day increase is associated with a 7% reduction in cardiovascular disease mortality,” added Dr. Banach, who is also an adjunct professor. Professor of Cardiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.
The fact that fewer steps are required to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease is not surprising, notes Dr. David Katz, a preventive and lifestyle medicine specialist who was not involved in the study.
“Exercise directly effect on the cardiovascular system, while the benefits for other systems or conditions are somewhat less clear,” says Dr. Katz, president and founder of the nonprofit True Health Initiative, a global coalition of evidence-based lifestyle medicine experts.
According to Dr. Katz, the research methods were «reliable and up-to-date» and confirm what doctors often tell their patients. “First, any exercise is better than none—with significant cardiovascular and overall health benefits at modest levels,” he added. – And as for the field of activity that concerns the general public – the more the better!”
The study, published Tuesday in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, analyzed data from nearly 227,000 people from 17 studies conducted in Australia, Japan, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. “To our knowledge, this is the largest analysis done to date,” said Dr. Banach. The analysis also revealed for the «first time» whether taking up to 20,000 steps a day has health benefits, he added.
All of the studies were observational and therefore could only show an association between steps per day and health status, not a direct cause and effect, notes CNN.
While approximately 4,000 steps per day were associated with “significant ” reducing the risk of early death, the greatest impact on risk was seen when people walked more than 7,000 steps a day, with the greatest benefit occurring at about 20,000 steps, the study found.
“However, I must emphasize that there was limited data on steps up to 20,000 steps per day, and therefore these results need to be confirmed in large groups of people,” says senior study author Dr. Ibadete Bitichi, a preventive cardiologist at the University Clinical Center in Pristina.
According to the study, the health benefits were the same in all countries for both men and women. While older participants — defined as people over 60 years of age — and younger participants saw benefits, “the size of the reduction in risk of death was smaller (in older people) than in people younger than 60 years old,” notes Dr. Banach.
According to him, adults aged 60 and over who walked 6,000 to 10,000 steps a day had a 42% reduced risk of early death, while those under the age of 60 who took from 7,000 to 13,000 steps per day, the risk decreased by 49%.
The difference is likely due to the “the sooner the better” formula, Banach said. Starting any medical intervention early, whether it's regular physical activity at recommended levels, a healthy diet, or other positive lifestyle changes, will have the biggest impact on cholesterol levels, blood pressure, fasting blood glucose and other disease-causing factors, the expert added.
“If you engage in regular and consistent physical activity—we call it physical activity commitment—you can always count on significant health benefits and live longer,” emphasizes Dr. Banach.
< p>What if you can't complete the number of steps the study found most helpful? Don't fret about it, says Dr. Andrew Freeman, director of cardiovascular disease prevention and wellness at the National Jewish Health Center in Denver.
“I think the study just shows that exercise is good for people who are sedentary.” lifestyle is good, and the more exercise you can do, the better,” explains Dr. Freeman, who was not involved in the study.
“It’s unlikely that your body has a magical threshold at which a little timer appears and says, «That's good.» If you walk 5,000, 10,000 or 20,000 steps a day, it's okay, he said. What I say to people who are just starting out and can't take many steps is is: «Don't lose hope. Every exercise matters. Keep doing what you are doing until you are out of breath for at least 30 minutes a day.”