10,000 steps a day is good, walking faster is better

by time news

It’s not just the number of steps you take in a day that matters. also how fast you walk may be just as important for lowering the risk of illness and deathaccording to new research in Britain.

The study followed nearly 80,000 adults with wearable trackers. In the data, researchers found that those who faster walking, also show signs of improved health outcomes. It is one of the largest analyzes of health outcomes and pedometers to date. The study results are published in JAMA Internal Medicine in JAMA Neurology.

The researchers, from the University of Sydney and the University of Southern Denmark, found that reaching 10,000 steps per day is associated with a reduced risk of dementia, heart disease, cancer and death. Even with ‘just’ 3,800 steps per day, the risk of dementia could be reduced by 25 percent if walking speed was increased. They conclude that increasing the walking pace also has health benefits. “The take home message of this research is that ideally people could not only aim for 10,000 steps per day, but also strive to walk faster,” said co-lead author Dr Matthew Ahmadi of the University of Sydney.

“For less active individuals, our study shows that just 3,800 steps per day can reduce the risk of dementia by 25 percent,” said co-lead author Associate Professor Borja del Pozo Cruz of the University of Southern Denmark and senior researcher in health at the University of Denmark. University of Cadiz.

10000 steps a day

Since the introduction of the pedometer, the goal of 10,000 steps has been enshrined in our collective consciousness as a daily health goal. In recent years, scientists have tried to test that step goal to see if that popular belief actually holds. Some studies show that after about 6,000 steps, the health benefits of daily walking gradually diminish. However, other research suggests that every extra step counts. In short: there is no single answer to the question of how many steps you need to take to achieve health results.

Pace instead of number of steps

The UK research now also reveals another important factor to consider: speed. Those who regularly walked at a faster pace or at a higher intensity during the day showed a lower risk of developing dementia and a lower risk of dying from cancer and cardiovascular disease compared to those who walked more slowly.

The 78,500 British adults who took part in the study made their data available to the British Biobank. This allowed the researchers to link data on the number of steps to their health outcomes after seven years.

78,500 British adults made their data available to the British Biobank

A caveat is in order: the study was observational, which means that the data does not yet tell us anything about cause or effect. But because it is one of the first and largest studies on health outcomes, steps and walking speed, the researchers are pleased with the findings. “The size and scope of these tracker studies make this the most robust evidence to date suggesting that 10,000 steps per day has health benefits, and that walking faster is associated with better health outcomes,” said Dr Matthew Ahmadi.

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