Researchers from the University of Sydney in Australia and the University of Southern Denmark discovered that walking 10,000 steps per day reduces the risk of dementia, heart disease, cancer, and mortality. A faster walking pace, such as a power walk, showed benefits that went beyond the number of steps taken. The studies, published in leading journals JAMA Internal Medicine and JAMA Neurology, monitored 78, 500 adults with wearable trackers – making these the largest studies to objectively track step count in relation to health outcomes.
“The take-home message here is that for protective health benefits people could not only ideally aim for 10,000 steps a day but also aim to walk faster,” said co-lead author Dr Matthew Ahmadi, Research Fellow at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Centre and Faculty of Medicine and Health. “For less active individuals, our study also demonstrates that as low as 3,800 steps a day can cut the risk of dementia by 25 per cent,” said co-lead author Associate Professor Borja del Pozo Cruz from the University of Southern Denmark and senior researcher in health at the University of Cadiz.
Key points:
– Every 2,000 steps lowered the risk of premature death incrementally by 8 to 11 per cent, up to approximately 10,000 steps a day.
– Similar associations were seen for cardiovascular disease and cancer incidence.
– A higher number of steps per day was associated with a lower risk of all-cause dementia- 9,800 steps was the optimal dose linked to a lower risk of dementia by 50 per cent, however, the risk was reduced by 25 per cent at as low as 3,800 steps a day.
– Stepping intensity or a faster pace showed beneficial associations for all outcomes (dementia, heart disease, cancer and death) over and above total daily steps.
“Step count is easily understood and widely used by the public to track activity levels thanks to the growing popularity of fitness trackers and apps, but rarely do people think about the pace of their steps,” said senior author Emmanuel Stamatakis, Professor of Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Population Health at the University of Sydney.”Findings from these studies could inform the first formal step-based physical activity guidelines and help develop effective public health programs aimed at preventing chronic disease.”
