Good news for those who dread hitting the gym or running a marathon: the largest study of its kind has found that you don’t need to be an athlete to see real health benefits.
All you need to do is walk—at least a little bit every day. According to research led by Maciej Banach, a renowned cardiologist, walking just about 4,000 steps daily can significantly reduce the risk of dying from any cause.
Even better? Walk a tad over 2,300 steps to decrease your risk of heart-related diseases. The study found that the benefits keep adding up the more steps you take, and there doesn’t seem to be an upper limit to how much walking is good for you.
Numbers That Matter
This study analyzed data from 226,889 people across 17 different global studies and found something rather simple: every extra step counts.
For instance, adding just 1,000 steps to your daily routine can cut your risk of dying from any cause by 15%. Add 500 more steps, and you’ll reduce your risk of dying from heart issues by 7%.
Remarkably, these benefits were the same whether you’re young or old, male or female, and regardless of where you live in the world.
Why is this so critical? Well, more than a quarter of the world’s population doesn’t get enough physical activity, putting them at risk for heart disease and other health problems.
That risk is even higher in wealthier countries and among women. In fact, not getting enough exercise is one of the top reasons people die early, according to the World Health Organization.
Why This Matters Now
The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t helped, making us all a bit more sedentary. Even two years after the pandemic started, we haven’t gotten back to our pre-COVID activity levels.
With over 3 million deaths a year linked to lack of physical activity, it’s crucial to find easy, achievable ways to get people moving.
If you’re older—say, over 60—the study found that walking between 6,000 and 10,000 steps a day can still give you a 42% lower risk of dying early.
For those under 60, walking between 7,000 and 13,000 steps a day can reduce that risk by 49%.
What’s Next?
Now, this study is not without its limitations. For example, it didn’t consider different races or income levels. It also didn’t look at people who are already sick.
But the key takeaway is simple: walking more can help most people live longer, healthier lives. Banach suggests that this kind of natural, everyday activity might be just as effective—if not more so—than medications for preventing heart disease.
So, before you invest in expensive gym memberships or daunting exercise routines, maybe start with something simpler: take a walk. Your heart will thank you for it.
If you care about wellness, please read studies about exercise that is vital to improving longevity in older people, and this dieting method could help increase longevity.
For more information about wellness, please see recent studies about vaccine that can block COVID-19 and variants, plus other coronaviruses, and results showing this type of exercise may slow down bone aging.
The study was published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology.
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