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If you're trying to improve your health by walking more, you may not need to focus only on reaching a certain number of steps. A new study suggests that how quickly you walk may matter just as much. Researchers found that both walking more and picking up the pace were linked to a lower risk of death, including death from cardiovascular disease.
Although the 10,000-step goal has long been recognized as an arbitrary benchmark, researchers say you don't necessarily need to reach a high step count to see benefits. Walking on a regular basis and increasing your pace may provide similar advantages. In the study, people who took less than 5,000 steps at a faster pace had a similar risk of death as those who walked 10,000 steps at a slower speed.
The researchers evaluated seven days of activity data from the participants who used activity trackers on their wrists. They looked at how many steps each person took per day and how quickly they walked during their 30 most active minutes, measured by their average steps per minute during that period.
Participants were monitored for 8 years, and researchers recorded deaths from all causes and cardiovascular disease.Even among people who took less than 5,000 steps and walking faster appeared to make a difference. Those who reached at least 80 steps a minute had a 28% decreased occurrence of death than slower walkers. Their risk was similar to people who walked 5,000 to 7,500 steps a day at about 60 steps a minute. In other words, walking faster may help make up for taking fewer steps, while adding more steps may offer benefits even at a reduced pace.
Moving more can benefit your health, but picking up the pace may provide additional advantages. More intense activity can help support blood pressure, maintain a healthy weight, improve insulin response, and reduce cardiometabolic risk. The study suggests that finding the right balance between how much you walk and how quickly you walk may help lower the risk of premature death and cardiovascular disease.
To view the original scientific study click below:
Combinations of stepping intensity and daily step counts against all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality: insights from a device-based prospective study
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