Trying to Get 10,000 Steps a Day? New Study Pinpoints the Number You Really Need

New research questions longtime belief that you have to walk at least 10,000 steps – or around 5 miles – a day to stay healthy.

Meta-analysis, published in Lancet’s public healthfound it just walking 7,000 steps One day can ensure protection against a range of diseases, including cancer, dementia and heart disease.

These results arise at a time when one in three adults in the world is physically inactive, a public health crisis which contributes to 8% of non -transmitted diseases each year.

The new document adds to an increasing set of evidence that All movement is better than nothing– and that even shorter bursts of activity can keep your heart, brain and strong and healthy lungs.

“Each step counts, especially with regard to the risk reduction for all adults of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, type 2 diabetes and depressive symptoms”, Mladen Golubic, MD, PHD, Clinical family professor and community medicine and medical director of the Osher Center for Integrative Health at the University of Cincinnati, Health.

To understand how daily stages have an impact on various health results, researchers have analyzed 57 studies, including more than 160,000 adults located worldwide.

Compared to people who have traveled 2,000 steps a day, those who took 7,000 daily steps have experienced a wide range of health benefits, including:

• Dementia risk of 38% of dementia
• 25% risk of cardiovascular disease
• 22% risk of depressive symptoms
• 14% Lower diabetes risk
• 6% lower cancer risk
• 28% lower fall risk
• 47% lower death risk
• 47% lower risk of dying of heart disease
• Risk of 37% lower to die from cancer

The team also found that walking less than 7,000 steps, 3.5 miles – one day was linked to health services. For example, taking 4,000 daily steps, which is equivalent to almost 2 miles, was associated with a risk of death of 36% compared to 2,000 steps.

However, the researchers noted a handful of limitations. For certain conditions, including cancer and dementia, the data was only supported by a few studies. Some of the reports included in the analysis also did not take into account health or fragility, which could have influenced the results. In addition, the majority of studies included have been carried out in high -income countries, which means that the results may not apply to a larger population.

The idea that you must walk 10,000 steps a day probably resumes the late 1960s, when a manufacturer in Japan created a pedometer called Manpo-Kei, which results in “10,000 stages meters”, according to a 2019 study.

The name was a marketing tool, but the idea you need 10,000 steps a day has taken off. The Golubic has revised our natural preference for round numbers, a trend supported by research. A 2019 study revealed that people report higher levels of progress and satisfaction when they reach a target that is round – like 10,000 – compared to uneven or fractional objectives.

Since then, studies have suggested that 10,000 steps a day has been associated with better overall health. But research also suggests You don’t need to hit this exact number to enjoy the advantages of daily walking.

When you are sedentary, the body systems responsible for the burn of calories, fats and sugars become slow, said Golubic. This can trigger a range of negative health effects, such as weakened heart and immune function, poor memory, increased inflammation and proliferation of cancer cells. The quality of sleep also decreases, the addition of Golubic, and depression and anxiety tend to increase. “The list is growing again and again,” he said.

On the reverse, Active physical activity all body’s organ systems, either directly or indirectly. The blood sugar and fat metabolism is improving, noted Golubic. The risk of cancer metastasis decreases, cognition is improved and inflammation decreases. The movement also helps to regulate the circadian rhythm, the body sleeping cycle of the body, leading to a better sleep.

According to Bernadette Boden-Albala, MPH, Drph, founding dean of the UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health, the movement also increases blood flow to the brain, causing the release of endorphins and other chemicals of well-being. “When we don’t move, we lose part of this natural boost,” she said.

Reaching 7,000 steps every day may seem intimidating, but there are many ways to strengthen your number of steps in your daily life, such as:

• Take a meeting on foot
• Parking further from your office or your grocery store
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator or the escalator
• Find a friend who walks

Keep in mind that hitting 7,000 steps is not a unique solution. The amount of physical activity that a child needs is different from a young adult, who is different from an older adult. “Different bodies have different needs and this is particularly true through the stages of life and health problems,” said Boden-Albala.

If you cannot reach 7,000 steps, don’t forget that any type of movement counts. If, for example, you have a condition that prevents you from walking, try to make yoga or tai chi of a chair, gardening or a aerobic of water. Like walking, these activities can preserve muscle mass, balance and cardiovascular health, said Boden-Albala.

In short: 7,000 stages is not the only way to stay healthy. “The walk is undoubtedly beneficial,” said Boden-Albala. “The best number of steps is the one that makes you move more than before and consistency is more important than hitting an arbitrary number.”