In a study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, scientists found that walking just 500 steps – about a quarter of a mile – at a time could help protect heart and brain health.
They found that for every 500 steps walked each day by adults ages 70 and older, the risk for heart disease, stroke and heart failure dropped by 14%.
Heart disease is responsible for more deaths in the U.S. each year than all forms of cancer and chronic lower respiratory disease combined.
Staying physically active can help improve cardiovascular health, and daily step goals are an easily measurable way to do so.
However, most studies of daily step counts involve younger adults who are able to set higher goals that might not be reasonable for older adults.
In this study, researchers analyzed data from 2016 to 2017 for 452 older adults in the ongoing Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities study.
The adults wore an accelerometer – a device similar to a pedometer – at the hip to measure steps for three or more days, at least 10 hours each day.
Participants had an average age of 78 and were followed for 3.5 years.
The team found adults who took about 4,500 steps per day were 77% less likely to experience a cardiovascular event – defined as coronary heart disease, stroke or heart failure – than those who took less than 2,000 steps per day.
For every additional 500 daily steps, cardiovascular disease risk dropped by 14%.
However, the study did not determine whether taking the additional steps prevents or delays cardiovascular disease, or if taking fewer steps was an indicator of underlying disease.
The team says they are surprised to find that every additional quarter of a mile, or 500 steps, of walking, had such a strong benefit to heart health.
The findings suggest small increases in the number of daily steps also have significant cardiovascular benefits.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about how the Mediterranean diet could protect your brain health, and Omega-3 fats and carotenoid supplements could improve memory.
For more information about health, please see recent studies that Vitamin D deficiency can increase heart disease risk, and results showing one cup of nitrate-rich vegetables a day may prevent heart disease.
The study was conducted by Erin E. Dooley et al and presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health conference.
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