According to research, taking 10,000 steps daily can decrease the chances of developing heart disease and dying prematurely, regardless of being sedentary for the remainder of the day.
According to a recent report in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, increasing daily steps beyond 2,200 can lower various health risks. This effect persists up until about 10,000 steps per day, independent of the amount of time spent sitting.
Researchers discovered that individuals who walked 9,000 to 10,500 steps a day had the lowest likelihood of dying prematurely.
People who walked approximately 9,700 steps per day had the lowest risks of experiencing a stroke or heart attack.
A team of researchers from the University of Sydney examined information from over 70,000 individuals with an average age of 61 from the UK Biobank.
During the study, individuals used an accelerometer for a week to track their physical activity levels. After a period of seven years, there were 1,633 fatalities and 6,190 cases of cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks or strokes.
According to the research, taking around 9,000 to 10,500 steps per day decreases the likelihood of premature death by 39% and lowers the chances of experiencing a heart attack or stroke by more than 20%.
The findings indicated that engaging in at least 2,200 daily steps was associated with reduced risk of mortality and heart disease, regardless of the amount of time spent sedentary. Moreover, the advantages of increased physical activity were greater with higher step counts.
In each scenario, 50% of the advantage was reached with a daily step count between 4,000 and 4,500.
According to Julie Ward, a cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, regular physical activity is crucial for promoting a healthy lifestyle and decreasing the chances of heart disease and stroke.
“The promising findings from these studies indicate that every individual effort towards reaching a goal of 10,000 steps per day has the potential to lower the risk of death and heart disease. Even engaging in low levels of physical activity can help decrease the likelihood of stroke.”
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“Staying physically active by engaging in 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week is beneficial for heart and circulatory wellbeing.”
“Any form of physical activity that suits your daily routine can be beneficial. For example, you can take breaks from your computer screen to go for a walk, attend gym sessions or exercise classes, or simply get off the bus one stop earlier to increase your step count.”
Source: theguardian.com
