You may have heard that walking 10,000 steps a day can reduce the risk of many diseases and improve your physical and mental health. However, a new study finds that you may only need to walk 4,000 steps a day to live longer by reducing the risk of many diseases. Before we know how many steps you should walk per day, we need to know what are the benefits of walking and why it is considered one of the best exercises for longevity.
Walking is a great way to improve your overall health, which includes your mental and physical health. Studies have shown that walking every day can extend your life and reduce the risk of many diseases by increasing your energy and mood. Some studies show that if you walk regularly and at a good pace, it may be the only aerobic exercise you need to be healthy and live longer.
How many steps should I take a day?
If you’re walking 10,000 steps a day in hopes of living a longer and healthier life, you can reduce that number. A new study has found that even walking 4,000 steps will do the trick. A study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that you may not need 10,000 steps to increase longevity. It also found that taking just 3,967 steps a day could reduce the risk of dying from any cause. It was also found that walking 2,337 steps a day could reduce the risk of dying from heart disease.
For the study, researchers evaluated the health information of 226,889 individuals from 17 different studies over 7 years. They found that increasing the number of steps by 1,000 reduced the risk of death from any cause by 15 percent and increasing the number of steps by 500 reduced the risk of cardiovascular problems by 7 percent. The study concluded that walking 4,000 steps per day could reduce the risk of dying and walking 2,500 steps per day could improve one’s health.
Walking is better than living a sedentary lifestyle
The biggest reason for developing any disease or dying at an early age is living a sedentary lifestyle. Even if you don’t find time to go to the gym or do other types of exercise, you can still try to take a walk every day. If you are eating a healthy diet then walking as an exercise can help you a lot. Additionally, it has been proven to be one of the best aerobic exercises to increase longevity by maintaining your overall health. Here are some benefits of walking you should know, which will improve your chances of living a long and healthy life:
1. Keeps weight under control
According to research conducted by Harvard researchers, brisk walking for about an hour a day can help halve the risk of obesity. Another study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that walking can help you burn calories and reduce problems associated with obesity.
2. Increases immunity
Do you often get cold or flu? People with weak immunity fall ill again and again. Staying physically active can help you reduce those risks. Studies have shown that just a 30-minute brisk walk can reduce inflammation and help in the regeneration of immune cells, thereby boosting your immunity.
3. Reduces joint pain
A study published in The American Journal of Medicine found that walking slows the rate of bone loss in the legs. Walking also protects joints by strengthening the muscles, especially the knees and hips, which typically make you more prone to osteoarthritis.
4. Reduces the risk of dementia
Dementia is considered one of the leading causes of death in women. Although walking is not a magic pill that will make every disease go away, it can definitely help reduce the risks to some extent. According to a study by researchers at Harvard Health, people who walked more had a lower risk of developing dementia.
5. Reduces the risk of heart disease
Did you know heart disease is one of the leading causes of mortality in the world? Studies have shown that walking can reduce the risk of heart disease. Walking just 3,867 steps a day can reduce your risk of death from heart disease.
Whether you want to walk 10,000 steps a day or just 4,000 steps, the focus should be on reducing the risk of developing unwanted diseases. Make sure you are incorporating some form of physical activity into your daily diet to keep your overall health in check.