(WXYZ) — How many steps do you really need to protect your health? A new study suggests that walking just 4,000 steps on three or more days a week could cut your risk of death by about 40%.
This study looked at both overall death and heart risks. And surprisingly, more steps didn’t mean more benefit than expected.
This study looked at more than 13,000 older women from the Boston area who wore activity trackers for a week. They were followed for more than 10 years, and what the researchers found was quite interesting.
Women who walked about 4,000 steps a day on three or more days a week lowered their risk of dying by up to 40%. Those who took the same number of steps a day, but only on one or two days a week, lowered their risk of dying by around 26%. That makes sense since they were walking less. But what’s interesting is that both groups cut their heart disease risk by about the same amount — 27% — no matter how many days they walked.
Now, you might think that walking more would improve those numbers. But in this study, women who walked 5,000 to 7,000 steps a day lowered their risk of death by about 32%. And, their risk of heart disease was cut by 16%. So women who walked more didn’t gain extra protection for longevity or heart compared to those walking 4,000 steps.
Let me be clear: more steps are not harmful. What the study shows is that the biggest benefits for both your heart and overall longevity happen once your body gets a moderate amount of activity — about 4,000 steps a few days a week. After that, extra steps are safe, but the additional protection for both mortality and heart disease starts to plateau.
However, going beyond that can still help in other ways by improving things like your weight, mood, strength and sleep.
Now, if you want to add in more steps to your day, you can park a little farther away, take the stairs or walk during your lunch break. I recommend using a step tracker as it can help you stay on track. Also, make it fun — join a walking group, listen to music or get a dog.
The key is to keep moving whenever you can. You don’t have to be perfect every day to protect your heart and health.
This Week on the Dr. Nandi Show
Vitamin D deficiency affects 50% of the global population, often due to limited sunlight, restrictive diets or aging. In this episode, Dr. Partha Nandi, MD, talks with a guest whose deficiency led to leg pain, joint aches and muscle spasms that kept her up at night. Tune in to discover safe ways to boost your vitamin D levels and hear from more experts on managing this common issue. Tune in this Sunday, Oct. 26 at 1 p.m.
