Daily walking for approximately 7,000 steps significantly decreases health risks.
A new study published in The Lancet Public Health has revealed that walking 7,000 steps a day can significantly reduce the risk of various chronic diseases and conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, dementia, depression, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and falls. This research, which analysed data from over 160,000 adults across more than ten countries, suggests that this achievable benchmark offers health benefits similar to or approaching those seen from the conventional public target of 10,000 steps.
The study, led by Dr. Melody Ding, reveals that the 10,000 steps norm originated from a Japanese marketing campaign in the 1960s. However, the new findings indicate that a more realistic and attainable target for most individuals is a daily step count of 5-7,000 steps.
Dr. Ding also emphasises that a step counter can assist in maintaining consistent physical activity throughout the day, helping people to distribute their activity evenly. Researchers claim that even moderate levels of activity - from 4,000 steps a day - already provide noticeable benefits, especially compared to a sedentary lifestyle.
The World Health Organization recommends 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of intense physical activity per week. The focus on steps as a measure of physical activity is a practical addition to these recommendations, offering a clear and accessible way for individuals to monitor and improve their daily activity levels.
Experts agree that the specific number of steps is less important than overall mobility. The study highlights the importance of progress rather than perfection in daily movement and its strong link to longer life and lower disease risks.
In conclusion, walking 7,000 steps a day can offer substantial health benefits and risk reductions. It is a practical and achievable goal that can help individuals improve their overall mobility and lead healthier lives.
[1] Ding, M., et al. (2021). Association of Step Counts With Health Outcomes in 160,000 Adults From Around the World. The Lancet Public Health. [2] World Health Organization. (2020). Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health. [3] Ding, M., et al. (2019). Associations of objectively measured sedentary time with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. British Journal of Sports Medicine.
- The new study published in The Lancet Public Health, led by Dr. Melody Ding, indicates that a daily step count of 7,000 can offer substantial health benefits, particularly in reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, dementia, depression, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and falls.
- The study also highlights the importance of flexibility in daily movement, suggesting that even moderate levels of activity, from 4,000 steps a day, provide noticeable benefits compared to a sedentary lifestyle, improving health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, and cardiovascular-health.
- The World Health Organization, in their recommendations, suggest 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of intense physical activity per week. The focus on steps as a measure of physical activity, as revealed in the study, offers a practical addition to these recommendations, promoting health benefits and disease risk reduction while focusing on progress, not perfection, in achieving better health and medical-conditions.
