- New research shows that you don’t need 10,000 steps a day for heart health benefits.
- Researchers found that walking 3,867 steps daily was enough to begin reducing the risk of dying from any cause.
- Experts explain the findings and how many steps you should strive for each day.
There are countless benefits of walking and getting your daily steps in. We’ve all heard the “10,000 steps a day” goal by now, but for many, that aim is not easily attainable. On average, Australians only do 7,400 steps a day.
Many experts have found that the specific number may not be needed to prolong your life or even to lose weight. Now, new research shows how setting a more conservative step goal per day can still boast all the health benefits.
A study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology analysed walking data from 17 long-term studies with more than 220,000 people around the world, of which the average age was 64 years. The researchers looked at the daily number of step counts and association to all-cause mortality (the risk of dying from all causes) and specifically the risk of dying from heart disease.
Researchers found that walking 3,867 steps daily was enough to begin reducing the risk of dying from any cause, and that just 2,337 steps per day could help reduce the risk of dying from heart disease. That’s right: just over 2,300 steps a day can make a difference for your heart health.
The results also showed that at the end of the day, small changes can make a big difference. Researchers found that with every extra 1,000 daily steps, there was a 15% decreased risk of dying from any cause, and just 500 extra daily steps was associated with a 7% decrease in dying from cardiovascular disease.
Why is walking so important for your health?
Physical activity is critical for good cardiovascular health, says cardiologist Dr Jayne Morgan. “It is a very effective form of aerobic exercise, plus improves mood, and cognition. It is also low impact, weight bearing, and accessible to most people.”
Walking can also help maintain a healthy weight, lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar, and decrease the risk of heart disease, Dr Morgan explains.
Plus as a weight-bearing exercise, walking can actually slow bone loss, adds Dr Morgan. “This is because with walking, your bones work against gravity which may slow bone loss in those with osteoporosis, or at risk of osteoporosis.” As we age, keeping your bones healthy and strong is key, she notes.
Walking can even improve varicose veins, increase energy, increase sleep quality, cognition, and even creativity and productivity, says Dr Morgan. “In short, walking is not only a heart healthy exercise, but an overall health exercise that deserves more credit.”
How many steps should you walk every day?
10,000 steps a day is an arbitrary number, says Dr Morgan. “Nice, whole, round, even, but arbitrary nevertheless.” In fact, walking any amount, even if it is small, is important, she says.
The Australian government recommends that each week adults get:
- 2.5 to 5 hours of moderate intensity physical activity – such as a brisk walk, mowing the lawn or swimming
- 1.25 to 2.5 hours of vigorous intensity physical activity – such as jogging, aerobics, fast cycling or netball
- an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous activities.
Your weekly exercise can be broken up into 30 minutes per day for five days a week, or even smaller bouts of 10 or 15 minutes at a time, says behavioural scientist Dr Brooke Aggarwal.
Distance walked and steps taken isn’t the only measure of healthy benefits, says Dr Morgan. Turns out, pace is also important. “The faster you walk also offers additional benefits, independent of the total number of steps taken per day,” Dr Morgan explains.
Talk to your doctor about your specific goals, which may vary from person to person depending on age and medical conditions, says cardiologist Dr Brett Victor.
“Many of us have a smartphone which already keeps track of how much we walk in a day, so just adding 1,000 steps from that is another good goal.”
The bottom line
In this study, older adults who walked 15 minutes a day, four times a week lived longer than those who didn’t, says Dr Morgan. “Additionally in older people, 11 minutes of activity daily may be enough to decrease risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and cancer.” Walking is a heart-healthy exercise that deserves more credit, she notes.
Most people seem to overestimate how much they are actually walking during the day, says Dr Victor. “Try to be mindful when walking that you are walking ‘for exercise’ not just to get from point A to point B. This change in perspective will likely make you walk faster and burn more kilojoules than casually strolling.”
Keeping track of your steps, with either a pedometer or fitness tracker, will likely increase the amount of steps you actually take, says Dr Victor.
“If you’re the competitive type, you can challenge a partner, friend, or yourself from one week to the next to try to do more steps.” Different exercise fads come and go, and even running has seen peaks and valleys as far as net health benefit, but walking will never go out of style and will always be good for you, says Dr Victor.
Walking is sometimes looked down upon as a “less superior” form of exercise than running or other high-intensity exercise, but brisk walking can allow for the perfect amount of intensity for improving heart health while reducing risk of injury, says Dr Aggarwal.
“Walking is a wonderful form of exercise, it’s easily implementable, and walking outside in nature has added benefits for improving mental health.”
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