Walking 10,000 steps a day may reduce risk of death – DW – 03/06/2024

New research published Tuesday (03/05/2024) by the British Journal of Sports Medicine. confirms this: Walking 9,000 to 10,000 steps a day can help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by 21% and the risk of premature death by 39%.

The idea that a certain number of steps per day was good for health had little legitimacy because it lacked scientific basis. In fact, it is believed that this is the result of a marketing campaign to promote Japanese step-counting devices.

In the footsteps of 72,000 people

The authors analyzed data from more than 72,000 people registered in the UK Biobank database, which provides access to the health status of more than half a million Britons aged 40 to 69 for at least 10 years.

In a recent study, participants wore activity trackers on their wrists for a week, which allowed them to see how many steps they took per day, as well as the time they spent sedentary—that is, awake but lying down or sitting.

9000 and 10000 steps are the optimal number.

Over seven years, 1,633 people died and 6,190 episodes related to cardiovascular disease occurred. After adjusting for other factors associated with disease or death, such as diet, smoking or exercise, the researchers determined that the optimal number of steps to reduce risk was 9,000 to 10,000 steps per day.

Based on the data provided, the average time spent sitting was 10.6 hours per day, so the authors classified 10.5 hours or more as “high sedentary time,” while anything less was considered “high sedentary time.” . .

For sedentary people, taking more than 2,200 steps a day meant a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease or premature death. However, those who took between 9,000 and 10 steps benefited the most.

Sedentary people may also benefit

The conclusions reached by the authors also apply to people leading a sedentary lifestyle. However, they caution that it is “absolutely no guarantee of getting out of jail for people who have been sedentary for long periods of time,” lead author Matthew Ahmadi said in a statement.

“However, it does contain an important message for public health: that all movement is important and that people can and should try to counteract the health effects of inevitable sedentary behavior by increasing the number of daily steps,” adds Ahmadi, a postdoctoral fellow at the Charles Perkins Center at the University of Sydney ( Australia).

“This study contributes to a major step forward in improving the science on which recommendations for physical activity and sedentary behavior are based. It seems to support the idea that the 10,000-step goal, which has no empirical basis to begin with, may in fact be correct.” He says New scientist Dale Esliger from Loughborough University, who was not involved in the study.