Walking 7,000 steps a day is enough to maintain good health, according to a new study

It has become a mantra of well-being: you should walk, ideally, 10,000 steps every day. But, in reality, how many steps do you really need to enjoy the benefits of walking? And what effect does this physical activity have on your body?

While the benefits of walking have been known for a long time (increased heart rate, improved circulation, lower blood pressure, weight loss, etc.), this study is the first to analyze how this physical exercise can reduce the risk of developing health problems.

Published by the journal The Lancer Public Health on Thursday, July 24, the study estimates that 7,000 steps a day would be enough to significantly reduce health problems, such as heart disease, depression or type 2 diabetes.

It even specifies that such physical exercise can reduce the risk of cancer by 6% and the risk of dementia by 38%. Walking is also thought to reduce the risk of falls by 28%, which can be fatal for the elderly.

The study "debunks the myth that 10,000 steps a day should be the goal for optimal health," said Dr. Daniel Bailey, a specialist in sedentary behavior and health at Brunel University of London, who was not involved in the study.

Walking 1,000 more is already beneficial

The researchers tracked data from more than 160,000 people in 31 different studies. They found that people with a total number of steps around 4,000 per day have better health than people with a very sedentary lifestyle (about 2,000 steps per day).

Researchers even say that the more people with heart disease walk, the better off they are.

In contrast, the effects seem to fade after about 7,000 daily steps for other health conditions.

"This means that people can improve their health by slightly increasing their physical activity, for example by taking 1,000 more steps each day," says Dr. Daniel Bailey.

Intense physical activity

However, there are some limitations to the report, particularly with respect to cancer and dementia outcomes, with data from only a few studies. In addition, some of the studies did not fully account for other factors that may influence health outcomes, such as age or frailty.

Even so, the researchers said the results may be encouraging for sedentary people, reaching 7,000 steps a day is a more easily achievable goal than 10,000.

Another limitation of the study, provided by Steven Harridge, professor of human physiology at King's College London, is that the study does not sufficiently emphasize the intensity of physical activity.

Health experts recommend that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise (such as brisk walking or cycling) per week, or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise once a week.

Conclusion

"This study adds to the body of knowledge that shows that physical activity is vitally important for health, and anything that encourages people to be more active is good for physical and mental health," said Steven Harridge, who welcomed the results of the study, who was not part of it.