Walking is good for health. This is proven by numerous studies. However, you don’t have to take 10,000 steps a day to start seeing heart health benefits.
- The WHO recommends that adults devote at least 150 to 300 minutes per week to moderate-intensity endurance activity.
- Otherwise, they can do at least 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity endurance activity.
One of the recurring tips for staying healthy is to take the equivalent of 10,000 steps a day. A study from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst shows that you don’t have to walk that long to see heart benefits.
Cardiovascular disease: risk reduced by 40% from 6,000 steps
Wishing to determine whether the objective of 10,000 steps per day was beneficial for health, the scientific team analyzed data from eight studies representing more than 20,000 people residing in 43 different countries. The average age of the participants was 63 years old and 52% of them were women. During the six years of follow-up, 1,523 cardiovascular disorders were recorded.
The researchers found that seniors who walked between 6,000 and 9,000 steps per day had a 40 to 50% reduced risk of a cardiovascular event (heart attack, stroke) compared to those who walked 2,000 steps per day. The reduction in the risk of heart disease was observed up to 15,000 daily steps, the highest threshold noted by the studies.
“We found that for adults over the age of 60, there was a surprisingly lower risk of cardiovascular event or disease over an average follow-up of six years”explains Amanda Palush, assistant professor of kinesiology (study of the movements of the human body) and principal author of the article published in the journal Traffic. “By accumulating more steps per day, the risk gradually decreased”she adds.
Walking: the less active have the most to gain
For the researcher, you should not be discouraged if you have sedentary tendencies. She assures that “the least active people have the most to gain” before continuing “For those who take 2,000 or 3,000 steps a day, taking a little more can mean a lot for their heart health.”
“If you’re at 6,000 steps, going to 7,000 and then 8,000 is also beneficial, it’s just a small incremental improvement”says the expert.
Walking and heart disease: no link for the youngest
Furthermore, no link between the amount of walking and cardiovascular risk was detected in participants under 60 years of age. However, Amanda Palush returns to this observation in a statement from the american university. “That’s because cardiovascular disease is linked to aging, and often doesn’t materialize until old age. You’re not going to see a lot of people develop a cardiovascular disorder after six years of follow-up in younger people.”she explains.
That’s why she and her team plan to do further research on the link between walking and precursors to cardiovascular disease like high blood pressure, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.”These conditions develop in young adults and are important for early prevention.”says Amanda Paluch.
