Tracking the number of steps you walk a day is not only a good way to stay in shape, but it can also have positive health benefits too.
While many people have the goal to get 10,000 steps in their daily routine, some find this target difficult to achieve.
But new research suggests “sizeable” health benefits — including a reduced risk of dementia, heart disease and premature death — can still be seen from fewer daily steps.
Although experts say that a higher step count, such as 10,000, can lead to more health benefits, clocking up less can also help.
Walking 7,000 steps a day may be enough to protect against a number of diseases, a new study suggests.
Even modest step counts of 4,000 steps a day can reap benefits over very low levels of activity, experts found.
The new study, led by academics from the University of Sydney in Australia, saw researchers examine data from dozens of studies from around the world, including in the UK, on tens of thousands of adults.
People who walked 7,000 steps each day appeared to have a protective effect against a number of diseases, including: a 25% lower risk of heart disease; a 14% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes; a 38% lower risk of dementia and 22% reduced risk of depression.
The researchers also found that when people walked 7,000 daily steps, compared to walking 2,000 steps, they were 47% less likely to die during the follow-up periods of the studies analysed.
And while the number of steps walked did not sway whether or not a person got cancer, people who walked more steps were significantly less likely to die from cancer — with 37% lower odds of cancer death compared to people who walked fewer steps.
Commenting on the study, Dr Daniel Bailey, reader — sedentary behaviour and health, Brunel University of London, said: “The finding that doing 5000-7000 steps per day is an important addition to the literature which helps to debunk the myth that 10,000 steps per day should be the target for optimal health.
“The study also found that health risks were reduced with each 1,000 extra steps per day, up to a maximum of 12,000 steps per day. So just adding more steps from your starting point can have important benefits for health.”
Everyone is different and the amount of physical activity needed for good health will vary.
The British Heart Foundation advises that it’s important to set a “realistic target.”
“That way you’re more likely to stick with it and build from there,” the charity says.
“After all, the science shows even small gains in step count make a big difference.
“To boost the health benefits, aim to walk at a brisk pace, meaning you can talk comfortably but would be too out of breath to sing.”
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