If the 10,000 steps a day benchmark for sustaining a healthy lifestyle didn’t fit into your routine, there is some good news: walking 7,000 steps a day may be sufficient to increase cognitive function and provide protection against a variety of illnesses.
According to the study, which was published externally in the Lancet Public Health, the figure was associated with a lower risk of major illnesses like cancer, dementia, and heart disease.
The researchers discovered that reaching the 7,000 daily step objective was associated with a 37 per cent lower chance of dying from cancer, compared to individuals who walked 2,000 steps per day. The risk was also lower for type 2 diabetes, dementia, depression, and falls, by 14 per cent, 38 per cent, and 28 per cent, respectively.
Additionally, it was linked to a 47 per cent decrease in the overall risk of dying and a 25 per cent decrease in the risk of cardiovascular disease.
See also: How many steps you really need to do to protect health — plus five ways to lose weight by walking
The research looked at data from over 160,000 people and the authors are positive it could encourage more people to track their steps as a practical way to improve their health.
Ten thousand steps is equivalent to about eight kilometres or five miles. Each person's exact distance will vary based on their stride length, which is influenced by their height, gender, and walking pace; those who walk more quickly typically take longer strides.
Despite the fact that step count is not a reliable indicator of exercise quality or intensity, the results highlight the significance of physical activity.
The study also challenges the idea that 10,000 steps a day is necessary.
Melody Ding, professor of public health at the University of Sydney and lead author of the research says: “We have this perception we should be doing 10,000 steps a day, but it's not evidence based.
“Those who are currently active and achieving the 10,000 steps a day, keep up the good work – there is no need to modify your step counts. However, for those of us who are far from achieving the 10,000 targets, getting to 7,000 steps/day offers almost comparable health benefits for the outcomes we examined.”
According to the research, even modest daily step counts of about 4,000 are associated with better health than extremely low activity levels of only 2,000 steps.
Although there were additional benefits to walking more for the heart, the benefits tended to level out at 7,000 steps for the majority of health concerns.
