Previous research has also shown that walking more during the day reduces the risk of death and cardiovascular disease (CVD) events such as heart attack, stroke, and coronary artery disease.

In these studies, the optimal amount of walking ranged from: 4,400 steps per day to 10,000 steps per day. Some of this variation may be due to differences between study participants or the way the study was conducted.

Other studies have shown that prolonged sitting or lying down during waking hours increases the risk of death and cardiovascular disease, as well as death from type 2 diabetes and cancer. Masu.

In the new study, researchers looked at both the number of steps taken per day and the amount of time spent sitting to see if walking could reduce the health risks associated with sitting for long periods of time.

To do this, they looked at data from 72,174 people enrolled in the UK Biobank study. The average age of participants was 61 years, and 58% were female.

In the study, people wore an accelerometer device on their wrist for seven days to measure their physical activity and sedentary time. Participants walked an average of 6,222 steps per day.

The researchers used the bottom 5% of people based on step count as a comparison group. The cutoff for this group was 2,200 steps per day. This allowed researchers to assess the impact of increased step count on the risk of death and cardiovascular disease.

The average amount of time spent sedentary was 10.6 hours per day. Researchers believed that people above this level spent more time sitting, and those below this level spent less time sitting.

Over approximately 7 years of follow-up, 1,633 participants died and 6,190 experienced one or more CVD events.

After taking into account other factors that may influence the results, researchers found that the amount of walking needed to maximize health benefits is between 9,000 and 10,500 steps per day. did.

They also estimated that 50% of the benefits come from taking 4,000 to 4,500 steps per day. Both of these scenarios included people who spent a lot of time sedentary and people who spent a lot of time sedentary.

“These findings are consistent with the long-standing message from fitness experts that incorporating more walking into your daily routine can significantly improve your health,” said ACE Certified, who was not involved in the study. said trainer Sabrena Jo.

“This study also highlights the simple and effective nature of walking as a means to combat the risks associated with a sedentary lifestyle and cardiovascular disease,” she told Healthline.

Diaz said the study’s 50% figure is consistent with what he and colleagues have observed in studies of sedentary behavior and gait.

“Studies in our lab have shown so far that you need to walk about 5,000 steps over an eight-hour period to offset the harms of sitting,” he says. “This is the minimum amount of walking needed to offset these harms.”

A new study found that the benefits and optimal number of steps were slightly different for people who spend more time sedentary than those who spend less time sedentary.

For sedentary people, walking 9,000 to 9,700 steps daily was associated with a 39% lower risk of dying from any cause and a 21% lower risk of CVD events. This was compared to people taking less than 2,200 steps per day.

In the less sedentary group, walking between 9,800 and 10,300 steps per day was associated with a 31% lower risk of death and a 29% lower risk of CVD events.

The results also show that the risk of death and CVD events continues to decrease slightly after taking more than 10,500 steps per day.

But at that point, “we’re not seeing much additional profit,” Diaz said. “Increasing from 10,000 steps per day to 20,000 steps per day won’t give you the same benefits as if you went from zero to 10,000 steps.”

Although this result is consistent with other studies on the benefits of exercise, this study has some limitations. First, because this is an observational study, researchers cannot show cause and effect, but only that there is an association between daily step count and risk of death or CVD events.

Furthermore, although the large sample size and long-term follow-up reduced some of the potential bias in the analysis, other factors that the study did not take into account may have influenced the results. have pointed out.

Participants’ step counts were also measured only once every seven days. Their walking habits may have changed later in the study.

However, based on their findings, the study authors concluded that walking more than 2,200 steps per day was associated with a lower risk of death or CVD events, regardless of the amount of time spent sitting.

“Our positive results provide relevant findings that can be used to strengthen public health messages and inform first-generation guidelines for foot-based and device-based physical activity and sedentary behavior. ”, the researchers wrote.

Up to a point, walking more can be good for your health, as this and other studies have shown. But even if he walks 10,000 steps a day, it is still worth reducing the time spent sitting during the day, if possible.

“For high-sitters” [aka those with a high amount of sedentary time], the risk of heart disease was higher than in people who sat in a lower position at any step count,” Diaz said. The researchers found that this difference was about 10%.

Therefore, “it’s important to spend less time sitting and more time on your feet,” he said.

One thing the study didn’t take into account was how people’s steps were spread out over the course of the day, which Diaz and colleagues focused on.

In a study published last year in a magazine, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, found that walking for 5 minutes every 30 minutes improved both blood sugar levels and blood pressure. He also benefited from taking a one-minute walking break every 30 minutes, although the effect on blood sugar levels was low.

High blood pressure is a risk factor for heart attack and stroke. Prediabetes and diabetes cause high blood sugar levels, which can damage the heart, blood vessels, and kidneys.

According to Diaz’s research, reaching a goal of 9,000 to 10,500 steps per day may be easier than you think.

“It’s hard to find time to walk for two hours straight,” Diaz said. “However, this approach of slowly increasing your step count over time is a useful strategy for people who can’t go to the gym.”

Other types of exercise may have similar health benefits. However, one of the strengths of walking, Joe says, is that it’s a low-impact physical activity that most people can participate in, regardless of their age or fitness level.

“It can also be tailored to your specific health conditions or limitations, such as walking at a slower pace or using a walking aid, if needed,” she said.

Walking also doesn’t require any special equipment or gym membership. However, if you prefer to exercise indoors, you can get the same health benefits by walking on a treadmill or an indoor track.

To get more walking into your day, Joe offers these tips:

• Incorporate walking into your daily activities, running errands, commuting, dropping the kids off at school, etc. Please use the stairs instead of elevators or escalators whenever possible during the day.
• Make walking a family activity By setting a specific time to take a walk together, such as after dinner.
• Leverage technology To remind myself to walk throughout the day. Fitness trackers and smartphone apps can also inspire you to set a goal to walk a certain number of steps each day.
• Create a walking meeting You can also answer the phone while working or walking.
• explore new places Make walking in your neighborhood, city, and other locations both exercise and adventure.
• let’s be social By walking and catching up with friends instead of sitting or eating at a cafe. For extra motivation and support, join a walking group or club.

Researchers looked at data from more than 72,000 people who took part in the UK Biobank study. Participants wore an activity tracker on their wrist for seven days to measure how much time they were active and how much time they spent sitting or lying down during their waking hours.

Walking 9,000 to 10,500 steps per day has the lowest risk of death or cardiovascular events such as heart attack or stroke. This was true even among people who spent more than 10 hours a day sitting during their waking hours.

Walking at least 2,200 steps per day has health benefits, with 50% of the maximum benefit occurring between 4,000 and 4,500 steps per day. Experts say taking frequent breaks during sedentary periods can improve heart health and other health outcomes.