Health Benefits of Walking
Every step counts.
Researchers found in a recent study published in Sports Medicine, for more than 28,0000 adults of all ages, every 1,000 daily step increase was associated with a 12 percent lower risk of death from all causes.
These findings held true even after accounting for BMI, alcohol consumption, smoking status, pre-existing health conditions, and step intensity.
The benefits began at 2,500 steps and continued up to 17,000 steps according to the scientists.
The take-home message is 10,000 daily steps is the common number to reach as told by the mainstream but just consistently moving more than you are now can make a meaningful difference over the long run. However, 10,000 is not a bad number to make your usual goal. You just want to start where you are at. For example, if you’re currently taking 3,000 steps, achieving the 10,000 steps “standard” might sound overwhelming because it’s so unrealistic. As a result, you don’t bother to do it or even worse, self-sabotage and beat yourself up for not doing it.
But could you add 1,000 to start? According to the research, that is doable as it is enough to provide a benefit, and you can build from there. Baby-steps.
Besides, that’s how lasting change happens: a little at a time. Same thing with weight-loss. Losing weight slowly is more beneficial than losing weight quickly.
To learn how to optimize your activity levels and improve your fitness, download my FREE nutrition guide which goes over how many calories you should consume, how much of each macronutrient and more.
PMID: 34417979
Jayedi A, Gohari A, Shab-Bidar S. Daily Step Count and All-Cause Mortality: A Dose-Response Meta-analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies. Sports Med. 2022 Jan;52(1):89–99.
