Walking 7,000 steps a day gives a huge boost to health: research
It's time to grab your walking shoes...
People who walk 7,000 steps a day have a dramatically lower risk of a broad range of serious health problems, according to the largest review of the evidence to date, published Thursday.
The most widely promoted target for step tracking is 10,000 steps per day — but that figure reportedly originated from a 1960s marketing campaign for a Japanese pedometer.
To find a more scientifically grounded goal, an international team of researchers reviewed 57 previous studies covering 160,000 participants.
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The results, published in The Lancet Public Health journal, found that walking 7,000 steps a day nearly halved the risk of early death from all causes compared to walking just 2,000 steps.
The study also investigated health issues not previously explored in research on step counts.
Walking 7,000 steps a day was associated with a 38 percent lower risk of dementia, a 22 percent reduction in depression, and a 14 percent decrease in diabetes risk.
It was also linked to lower rates of cancer and falls, although the researchers noted that these findings were based on less robust evidence.
"You don't need to hit 10,000 steps a day to get major health benefits," said Paddy Dempsey, a study co-author and medical researcher at Cambridge University, in an interview with AFP.
"The biggest gains happen before 7,000 steps, and then the benefits tend to level off," he added.
While walking speeds vary, 7,000 steps generally equates to about an hour of walking spread throughout the day.
Dempsey emphasised that people already reaching 10,000 or more steps daily should continue their routine.
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But he offered encouragement to those who may find 7,000 steps intimidating: "Don't be discouraged."
"If you're only getting 2,000–3,000 steps a day, aim to add an extra 1,000 steps. That’s just 10–15 minutes of light walking spread across the day," he said.
Andrew Scott, a researcher at the University of Portsmouth not involved in the study, commented, "It demonstrates that, overall, more is always better."
"People should not focus too much on the numbers, particularly on days when activity is limited," he added.
The World Health Organisation recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week. Nearly a third of people worldwide do not meet this target, according to the WHO.
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