Study: how many steps you need to take daily

For a long time, the verdict of experts was considered an axiom: every day you need to walk 10,000 steps to reduce the risk of premature death. The latest study “corrected” this figure.

Scientists like writes The Air Force believes that 5,000 steps or less are beneficial. Data obtained during research, which was attended by 226 thousand people from all over the world. Analysis of the data showed that 4000 steps are enough to reduce the risk of premature death for various reasons, and 2300 is significantly beneficial for the heart and blood vessels.

The benefits of walking for people of any gender and age, regardless of where they live, have been revealed by a team of doctors from the Medical University of Lodz in Poland and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the USA. The results of the study state:

• the risk of death decreases significantly with every 500-1000 additional steps;
• 1,000 extra steps a day could potentially reduce the risk of death from any cause by 15%;
• 500 extra steps a day can reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 7%.

The scientists did not determine the “limit” of steps, the study took into account indicators up to 20,000 steps, the biggest benefits were noted for people under 60 years old. Maciej Banach, a professor at the University of Lodz, said that although the number of modern medicines is growing, one cannot rely on them alone:

“I believe that we should always emphasize that lifestyle changes, in particular diet and exercise, which were the ‘protagonists’ of our analysis, can be at least as effective or even more effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and life extension”.

Studies have shown that more than 1/4 of the world’s population suffers from insufficient physical activity, 32% of women and 23% of men devote insufficient time to physical activity.

According to the WHO, physical inactivity is responsible for 3.2 million deaths annually, the fourth most common cause worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic also led to a decrease in physical activity, and its level has not recovered even after two years. Honey Fine, personal trainer and instructor at global fitness company Barry’s, points out that health problems can arise if a person sits too long:

“Too long a seat can also lead to all sorts of back problems, we often see people working in an office, their backs are constantly in a tense compressed position, which causes much more problems later in life.”

She notes that even activities such as standing, carrying groceries, washing floors, stepping while talking on the phone make a person more active and help burn extra calories.

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