Walk more and live longer. Increasing daily steps can significantly reduce all-cause mortality risk, the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and type 2 diabetes (T2D), which are two of the most prevalent and deadly diseases worldwide.
(Jayedi et al., 2022)
Walking or Steps is a significant portion of Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenic (NEAT). Having higher NEAT help lose body fat and maintain healthy BMI and body weight long term.
Jayedi et al., 2022, a meta-analysis of seven prospective cohort studies investigated the association between daily step count and all-cause mortality risk in 28,141 participants.
16,000 Steps per day were associated with 66% lower risk in all-cause mortality compared to 2700 steps per day.
Health Benefits of Walking
- Increase energy expenditure and help maintain healthy body weight and BMI
- Reduce blood pressure
- Improve blood glucose control
- Enhance cognition
- Improve mood
- Walk-in nature (green areas) has shown to reduce stress
Realistically it’s challenging to achieve higher step counts like 16K or even 10K in some cases for busy people who have busy jobs and a family. However, I use various strategies to accumulate steps throughout the day with my clients. Combining a few simple strategies and planning, most people can achieve over 10,000 steps per day without spending too much extra time.
16,000 or even 10,000 steps a day might be a big stretch if your current activity level is low. But the good news is every bit counts. Additional 2000 steps from any baseline were associated with a 5% decrease in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Each 500-1000 increment was associated with 5-21% lower risk of Cardio Vascular Disease.
đź“–Note: Since this is a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies, the results were likely affected by confounding variables. So we Cannot establish causation.
Reference:
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