New research has challenged the long-held belief that people need to walk 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy, suggesting that older women can significantly cut their risk of early death by walking just 4,000 steps on one or two days a week.
The study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that women aged around 72 who achieved 4,000 steps a day on one or two days a week had a 26 per cent lower risk of death from any cause and a 27 per cent lower risk of heart disease compared with sedentary women. Those who walked the same amount on three days a week saw even greater benefits, including a 40 per cent reduced risk of early death.
Researchers from Harvard University and other institutions analysed data from 13,547 women who were free from heart disease and cancer at the start of the trial. The women wore devices to measure their step count for seven days and were tracked for nearly 11 years. During that period, 1,765 women died and 781 developed heart disease.
The findings underscore that the total volume of steps taken, rather than the frequency of activity, is the key determinant in lowering death rates and mitigating the risk of heart disease. Experts concluded there is “no ‘better’ or ‘best’ pattern” for achieving health benefits through walking, adding that “individuals can undertake physical activity in any preferred pattern”.
While higher step counts — between 5,000 and 7,000 — led to further reductions in risk, these were more modest. For cardiovascular disease death, the risk reduction levelled out at 16 per cent. The researchers recommended that physical activity guidelines for older women consider advising at least 4,000 steps per day on one to two days per week to lower mortality and cardiovascular disease risk.
