Health benefits start after walking as little as 2,500 steps a day
By Roberta Cannon, RN
Like many, I thought the maxim to walk 10,000 steps per day for the best health benefit was based on scientific evidence. But it was actually created as part of a marketing campaign in the 1960s to promote a pedometer before the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The pedometer was called Manpo-kei which has an English translation of 10,000 step meter and the Japanese character for 10,000 somewhat resembles a person walking, according to the American Heart Association.
So, do we truly need to walk 10,000 steps a day to lower our risk of heart disease or all-cause mortality, which is death attributable to any cause?
A recent analysis published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology concluded that you can begin to have health benefits from walking as few as 2,500-4,000 steps per day and increasing those step counts will also lower your mortality risk.
The researchers reviewed 17 studies with almost 227,000 participants that assessed the health effects of walking by measuring the number of steps. They showed that increasing step counts by 1,000 steps corresponded with a significant reduction in all-cause mortality of 15 percent. A 500-step increment corresponded with a reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality by 7 percent.
“I think this is a really interesting study,” said Megan Titas, MD, a cardiologist with Cape Cod Healthcare Cardiovascular Center-Falmouth. “If you are getting 2,000-3,000 steps a day, that is where you start seeing positive changes, and if you can push that number, we now have a quantifiable reduction in cardiovascular risk and all-cause mortality. You don’t have to go to the gym for an hour three or four times a week.”
“This analysis is great information that we can use because I have some patients that cannot walk 10,000 steps,” she said. “My population of patients is aging, and they get frustrated because they can’t do what they used to do. That is expected but I tell them don’t feel you can’t do it because of your age. You need to have realistic expectations.”
Ways to improve your step count
Dr. Titas suggests the following to help increase your step count per day:
“I do see patients improve with activity,” said Dr. Titas. “Not all my patients qualify for a cardiac rehabilitation program, but we do encourage walking. I have one patient who had peripheral artery disease and had bypasses in his lower extremities and started out at 500 steps and now he is up to 4,000-6,000 steps, which is fantastic!
“For me, this study is quantifiable, it confirms what we already knew but we didn’t have exact numbers and now we do. It is a nice parameter to follow because I can tell my patients if you can increase your step count by 500-1,000 steps, you will decrease your cardiovascular and all-cause mortality risks.”
View Physician Profile
Originally published on Cape Cod Health News, April 23, 2024
So, do we truly need to walk 10,000 steps a day to lower our risk of heart disease or all-cause mortality, which is death attributable to any cause?
A recent analysis published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology concluded that you can begin to have health benefits from walking as few as 2,500-4,000 steps per day and increasing those step counts will also lower your mortality risk.
The researchers reviewed 17 studies with almost 227,000 participants that assessed the health effects of walking by measuring the number of steps. They showed that increasing step counts by 1,000 steps corresponded with a significant reduction in all-cause mortality of 15 percent. A 500-step increment corresponded with a reduced risk of cardiovascular mortality by 7 percent.
“I think this is a really interesting study,” said Megan Titas, MD, a cardiologist with Cape Cod Healthcare Cardiovascular Center-Falmouth. “If you are getting 2,000-3,000 steps a day, that is where you start seeing positive changes, and if you can push that number, we now have a quantifiable reduction in cardiovascular risk and all-cause mortality. You don’t have to go to the gym for an hour three or four times a week.”
“This analysis is great information that we can use because I have some patients that cannot walk 10,000 steps,” she said. “My population of patients is aging, and they get frustrated because they can’t do what they used to do. That is expected but I tell them don’t feel you can’t do it because of your age. You need to have realistic expectations.”
Ways to improve your step count
Dr. Titas suggests the following to help increase your step count per day:
- Take a stroll down the bike path where there are benches along the way and can rest when you need to.
- Take a walk on the main street in your town and do some window shopping.
- Walk in your neighborhood so your neighbors can see you if you need some help.
- Park your car a little further away from the entrance to the grocery store.
- Walk up a flight of stairs to the next floor instead of taking the elevator.
- Take a 10-minute walk after lunch or take the dog for a walk.
- Do loops around a parking lot or your backyard.
“I do see patients improve with activity,” said Dr. Titas. “Not all my patients qualify for a cardiac rehabilitation program, but we do encourage walking. I have one patient who had peripheral artery disease and had bypasses in his lower extremities and started out at 500 steps and now he is up to 4,000-6,000 steps, which is fantastic!
“For me, this study is quantifiable, it confirms what we already knew but we didn’t have exact numbers and now we do. It is a nice parameter to follow because I can tell my patients if you can increase your step count by 500-1,000 steps, you will decrease your cardiovascular and all-cause mortality risks.”
View Physician Profile
Originally published on Cape Cod Health News, April 23, 2024