Walking 7,000 steps daily can significantly enhance your overall health.
A recent research review indicated that individuals who walk at least 7,000 steps each day nearly halve their risk of death from all causes over a given timeframe.
Walking just 4,000 steps daily has been shown to considerably lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia, depression, and falls.
Improvements continue with increased step counts, but the benefits start to taper off after reaching 7,000 steps. This makes 7,000 steps a more realistic goal for those aiming to boost their health, compared to the commonly recommended 10,000 steps.
It’s well-known that increasing physical activity offers substantial health benefits; however, our increasingly sedentary lifestyles mean that one-third of the global population is considered insufficiently active.
Counting daily steps is a popular method for tracking activity levels. The often cited target of 10,000 steps is frequently viewed as the benchmark to achieve, but this number lacks solid scientific backing.
A recent review published in Lancet Public Health examined 57 studies to clarify what step count should be targeted for health benefits.
The review started with a baseline of 2,000 steps per day, finding that health benefits increased with every additional 1,000 steps.
However, the pace of improvement began to level off after 7,000 steps.
At the 7,000-step mark, the results showed a dramatic impact: all-cause mortality decreased by 47%, the risk of dementia dropped by 38%, and cardiovascular disease risk reduced by 25%. There were also significant reductions in the risk of depression, type 2 diabetes, and cancer.
Even a slight increase in step counts can lead to a 36% reduction in all-cause mortality.
Despite the rising interest in using step counts as a metric for tracking activity levels, public health officials have previously lacked enough evidence to establish scientifically backed targets.
The non-official 10,000-step target originated from a pedometer marketing campaign during the 1968 Tokyo Olympics, rather than being health-related; interestingly, the number resembles a walking figure in Japanese characters.
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Source: www.sciencefocus.com
