Even a brief increase in the number of steps we take each day can make us live longer. A new study on the benefits of walking
Even a brief increase in the number of steps we take each day can make us live longer. A new study on the benefits of walking
New research has found that increasing the steps you take every day - and not by much - could have a positive effect on your health. longevity. It would be enough only 1000 steps more to live longer.
It is not necessary to engage in long walks every day to improve your health. Even a small increase in steps over the course of the day has been linked to a number of beneficial effects including improved heart health, sleep quality and mental health. An advantage that is found, both by increasing the duration of a single walk and by increasing the movement in short sessions throughout the day.
This is confirmed by a new study presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle & Cardiometabolic Health Conference 2021. This found that people who took more steps each day had a significantly lower risk of death than those who were less active.
The researchers analyzed data from 16.732 women aged 60 and over who had a pedometer that measured their routes and paces over a period of four to seven days. All the women were part of the Women's Health Study, a large study on heart disease, cancer and long-term disease prevention.
Based on the steps taken by each participant, the women were divided into two groups: those who took 10 minutes or longer periods of walking with few interruptions and those who only walked short distances such as climbing stairs or reaching the car. as part of normal daily activities.
The researchers followed the participants for an average of 6 years and were able to note a 32% decrease in deaths among those who took at least 2000 steps a day. But, compared to not taking daily steps, even 1000 more steps contributes to an approximately 28% lower risk of death.
It should be noted, however, that, according to the scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who conducted the study, taking multiple steps in short sessions offers greater advantages than a single long walk. These benefits, however, tend to become the same by walking around 4.500 steps every day.
Even a small increase in the time we spend walking throughout the day can therefore have a significant impact on our health.
However, given that all study participants were women, white and mostly older, more research is needed to determine whether the findings apply to men, younger women, and people of different ethnic groups.
Read all of our articles on the benefits of walking.
Fonte: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Read also:
- Walking: 10 reasons to do it at least 30 minutes a day
- What happens to your body by walking even just 10 minutes a day
- Walking: no, it is not true that you have to take at least 10 thousand steps a day
- Walking briskly extends your life by 15 years
