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Article informationAuthor, Annabelle Rackham, Role, BBC
3 hours ago
Many have been promoting the idea that walking 10,000 steps a day is the magic number needed to maintain physical fitness and health, but a recent study concluded that walking less than five thousand steps is enough to achieve benefit.
The study, which included more than 226,000 people from around the world, showed that walking 4,000 steps is sufficient as a start to reduce the risk of dying early from any cause.
Walking just over 2,300 steps is enough to achieve cardiovascular health benefits.
The researchers said the higher the number of steps, the greater the health benefits.
They added that for every additional 1,000 steps over the 4,000-step limit, the risk of early death was reduced by 15 percent, up to 20,000 steps.
A team from the Polish Medical University of Lodz, in collaboration with the American Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, concluded that the benefits of walking accrue to all genders and ages, regardless of where they live.
Despite this, the researchers noted that more benefits were achieved among people under the age of 60.
Professor Maciej Banach, from the University of Lodz, said that although advanced drugs are available for treatment, they are not the only solution.
He added: “I think we should always emphasize that lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise, which were the main component of our study, may be effective, at least, in reducing cardiovascular disease risk and longevity.”
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The researchers said that the higher the number of steps, the greater the health benefits.
Data from the World Health Organization indicate that insufficient physical activity causes 3.2 million deaths annually, and is the fourth most common cause in the world.
Hani Fine, a personal trainer with Paris Total Fitness, stresses the problems caused by sitting too much.
She told the BBC: “This can slow down your metabolism, as well as affect muscle growth and strength, which can cause pain.”
She added: “Sitting for a long time can also cause all kinds of back problems, and we monitor this happening a lot with people who have office jobs, where the back is always in a state of pressure, which causes a lot of problems later in life.”
She explains the importance of non-exercise activity thermogenesis, also known as “neat”, that “simply everything we do that expends energy and burns calories”.
“Activities like standing up, carrying shopping, washing floors, jumping around, walking briskly while catching up on the phone, all the little things that make us more active help us burn calories more efficiently,” she said.
Fine added that while adding regular walking activity to your life can be daunting, the benefits are impressive when it comes to your health.
She said: “Walking can lower blood pressure, strengthen muscles to protect bones, and can increase energy levels as well as provide endorphins and help maintain a healthy weight along with a healthy diet.”
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Walking just over 2,300 steps is enough to achieve cardiovascular health benefits.
Other benefits include boosting your mental health and allowing important time away from screens and other distractions.
She added that walking is suitable for “almost anyone” because it is low-impact and easy on the joints and muscles.
Personal trainer tips for walking
Walking to the station instead of taking a bus or car is beneficial. If you work sitting at a desk, set an alarm bell every hour to remind you to get up and move. Walking for pregnant women is the best type of exercise that can be done. Walking for 30 minutes a day while listening to a useful podcast. You can Walk with friends in a park or with a dog if you have one. Start with a small walk, a 10-minute walk from the station to the office and easily build up to a 20-minute walk in a park and then a 30-minute walk around town.
2023-08-09 11:56:53
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