7,000 steps a day could be sufficient to improve health, say researchers | Medical research
According to research, walking walking could reduce your risk of dementia, depression and death of cancer, while being good for your heart. And you may not need to walk as far as what was thought previously to harvest these advantages.
The NHS recommends a fast walk of 10 minutes each day. Many people aim to walk 10,000 stages, but find it difficult to achieve it. Now researchers have calculated that even 7,000 steps could be sufficient to protect health.
Scientists examined data of more than 160,000 adults and found that the 7,000 -step walking was associated with a reduced risk of a number of health problems and serious deaths.
While previous studies have mainly examined the links between the number of stages and heart health or overall mortality rates, this systematic review and meta-analysis, published in Lancet Public Health, has sought to examine in depth how to take more measures per day could also reduce the risk of a range of other health problems.
Compared to those who have traveled 2,000 steps a day, the researchers found that the achievement of the target of 7,000 daily steps was linked to a 37% reduction in the risk of dying of cancer, while the risk was 14% lower for type 2, 38% diabetes for dementia, 22% depression and 28% for falls respectively. It was also associated with a risk of cardiovascular disease of 25% and a reduction of 47% of the overall risk of death.
Although the number of steps does not measure the quality or intensity of the exercise, the results highlight the importance of being active. There is a “return on investment” with every 1,000 additional steps taken and even 4,000 stages per day have reduced the risk of illness, compared to the very low activity levels, the researchers observed.
Although the risk continues to decrease over 7,000 stages, the rate to which it reduces this risk begins to slow down. Melody Ding, professor of public health at the University of Sydney and principal research author, said that those who had already traveled 10,000 stages should not return to 7,000, but that 7,000 was a more practical target for those who were currently inactive.
“Those who are currently active and who reach 10,000 steps a day, continue a good job – there is no need to modify your steps. However, for those of us who are far from reaching 10,000 targets, reaching 7,000 stages / day offer almost comparable health benefits for the results we have examined. ”
Responding to the results, Dr. Daniel Bailey, sedentary behavior and health reader at Brunel University in London, said research had helped Revise the myth that 10,000 stages per day should be the target of optimal health.
“The implications of the real world are that people can obtain the right health benefits of small increases in physical activity, such as making an additional 1,000 stages per day. To make the best risk reductions, aimed at 5,000 to 7,000 per day can be recommended, which will be more feasible for many people than the unofficial objective of 10,000 stages that take place for many years. ”
Dr. Andrew Scott, lecturer in physiology of clinical exercise at the University of Portsmouth, stressed that not all activities were captured by steps. “The steps a day are useful when people exercise is a snub, but cycling, swimming and rowing are not well represented by the Pas per day model.”
June Davison, senior heart nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: “We know that regular walking is one of the easiest ways to help maintain a healthy lifestyle and reduce your risk of heart disease.
“Adults should aim to accumulate up to 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity each week, but becoming active is not always easy. Incorporating activity snacks, such as walking while taking phone calls or making a 10 -minute fast walk during your lunch break, can all count to reduce your chances of developing heart disease. “
