Research shows that taking up to 10,000 steps a day can lower the chance of heart disease and early death. This holds even if you sit for most of the day. This information comes from a study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
The study says that even taking an extra step above 2,200 steps a day can help. It does not matter how much time you spend sitting. People who took 9,000 to 10,500 steps a day had the lowest chance of dying early.
The study also tells us about stroke and heart attack. Those who walked about 9,700 steps a day had the lowest chances of these health problems.
Experts from the University of Sydney led this study. They studied data from over 70,000 people. These people were about 61 years old. They came from the UK Biobank.
For the study, people wore a device for a week to measure how much they moved. After seven years, the experts noted 1,633 deaths. They also noted 6,190 cases of heart attack or stroke.
The study found that taking between 9,000 and 10,500 steps a day could lower the risk of early death by 39%. It could also lower the chance of heart attack or stroke by over one fifth.
Julie Ward, a senior nurse, commented on the study. She said, “We know that daily physical activity is essential. It helps maintain a healthy lifestyle. It can also lower the risk of heart conditions and stroke. We encourage everyone to do 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week.” She advised people to keep moving and take small steps towards the goal of 10,000 steps a day.
