“We have found that even walking less than the 10,000 stages often recommended per day – and accelerating the pace a little – leads to a significant drop in the risk of serious heart problems,” said the supervisor of the Emmanuel Stamatakis study, PHD, professor of physical activity, lifestyle and health of the population with the School of Health Health Sciences of Sydney in Australia.
“This study is one of the first to demonstrate a dose-answer relationship between the number of daily steps and the major problems of the heart and blood vessels,” he notes.
The study examined more than 36,000 people with high blood pressure
Dr. Stamatakis and his collaborators analyzed information on more than 36,000 elderly people, an average of 64, who had received a diagnosis of high blood pressure (hypertension). The average was 150 systolic on 87 diastolics.
Study participants agreed to wear a device on the wrist for seven consecutive days to measure the way they walked and how speed. Scientists collected data between 2013 and 2015 and followed participants up to eight years. Meanwhile, nearly 2,000 heart problems or stroke incidents have been recorded.
How much walking was necessary to seriously reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease?
- 17% reduction in global heart risk
- 22% reduction in the risk of heart failure
- 9% reduction in the risk of heart attack
- 24% reduction in the risk of stroke
In addition to looking at subjects with high blood pressure, researchers have also analyzed data on more than 37,000 people without high blood pressure and found that walking produced similar risk decreases.
“It is important to note, however, that there is no point where you can reach a zero risk simply by walking,” explains Stamatakis. “Above 10,000 stages, additional advantages have continued, in particular to reduce the risk of stroke, but the advantages have not continued to add up at the same rate for all types of heart events. So more steps are better, but even modest increases from wherever you start can make a big difference.”
The authors of the study added that the average intensity of the fastest 30 minutes of walking per day was 80 steps per minute and this was associated with a reduced risk of 30% of any major heart problem.
Participants who pushed their pace as high as 130 steps per minute or more have known no major heart episode.
Even relatively low steps have offered advantages
According to Stamatakis, one of the most striking results was one of the most striking results.
The essential, however, is that even if you have to walk as much as you can, “any amount of walking is useful,” explains Parveen Garg, MD, cardiologist with Keck Medicine of USC in Los Angeles, which was not involved in the study.
How does it work your health?
Keith Diaz, PHD, Associate Professor of Behavioral Medicine at the Columbia University Medical Center in New York, and a member of the American activity science committee of the American Heart Association, notes that walking can also help reduce cholesterol, blood sugar, triglycerides (a type of fat in blood) and body weight, as well as reduction in inflammation.
“Regular walking means that the heart becomes stronger and better to pump blood,” said Dr. Diaz, who was not involved in the study. “The blood vessels around your heart expand better, and the number of blood vessels, branches and connections around your heart increases. All this leads to a healthier and better functional heart. ”
The fast walking, even in short gusts, increases the positive power of this exercise, according to Stamatakis. Move to higher intensity means that your heart and your lungs work harder, which improves the cardiovascular shape, reduces blood pressure, assistance in weight management and maintains healthy blood vessels, he said.
The study has forces and limits
Dr. Garg praised the study to focus on a large population (although it is mainly white) and based on data of electronic devices that could provide very precise information.
The researchers, however, only measured physical activity at the start of the study without capturing future changes in walking habits, it is therefore not clear if the number of steps has been maintained by individuals throughout the follow -up.
How to get more into your life
According to Stamatakis, there are many easy ways to add short or long bursts of vignettes in your daily routine, according to Stamatakis:
- Replace short car trips (those of less than 1 mile) with walking.
- If you have a dog, do it for an additional walk per day. Pick up the pace at intervals, if possible.
- Stay a little further from your destination and go to the entrance.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevators and accelerate them a little faster than usual. The staircase is one of the best forms of walking.
- If you are on a phone call, punctuate a place in the house.
“These small actions can really add up,” says Stamatakis. “The goal is to find opportunities in your daily life to move a little more and a little faster when you can.”
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