Walking 8,000 steps, or almost 4 miles, once or twice a week significantly reduces the risk of premature death, according to a study published Tuesday.
While regular physical activity is known to reduce the risk of mortality, the study published in the journal JAMA Network Open looks at the health benefits of brisk walking just a few days a week.
Researchers from Kyoto University and the University of California, Los Angeles analyzed data from 3,101 American adults. They found that those who walked 8,000 steps or more, once or twice a week, were 14.9% less likely to die over a 10-year period than those who didn’t reach that milestone.
Increased health benefits for those over 65
For those who did these long walks three to seven times a week, the risk of death was further reduced, by 16.5%.
The health benefits of these walks of 8,000 steps or more, once or twice a week, seem even more marked for people 65 and older.
“The number of days per week that someone walks 8,000 steps or more was associated (in the study) with a lower risk of cardiovascular and all-cause mortality,” the scientists said. “This work suggests that people can achieve significant health benefits from walking just a few days a week,” they continue.
A physical activity with a positive impact on health if practiced regularly
For this study, the researchers studied the daily steps recorded by the participants between 2005 and 2006 and then studied their mortality ten years later.
Of the participants, 632 people failed to reach the 8,000 step limit at least one day a week; 532 people met or exceeded them once or twice a week; and 1,937 people did it three to seven times a week.
On average, Americans walk 3,000 to 4,000 steps a day, according to data from the Mayo Clinic, which states that walking as a regular physical activity can reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and depression.
Source: BFM TV
