Walking is often said to be good for the body For our health, are there certain ways we should take to do that? Researchers say there may be.
Maintaining a certain frequency, taking a certain number of steps, and maintaining a certain pace can all help lower your risk of dementia, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and even premature death.
Two recent studies, published in JAMA Neurology and JAMA Internal Medicine this September, also investigated the relationship between daily steps, step intensity, and increased health benefits.
Whether you’re already committed to your daily walks or just getting started, here’s everything you need to know to optimize your routine with frequency and speed.
Here’s how to get the most out of your daily walks.
Frequency: Walk at least 30 minutes daily
Both papers strongly recommend walking for at least 30 minutes each day. “It doesn’t have to be consecutive 30-minute sessions,” Matthew Ahmadi, author of the two studies, told the New York Times. “It can be short bursts here and there throughout your day.” .”
However, walking pace can affect step count. When that It is essential in reducing the risk of serious illness and early death.
Number of steps: Aim for 9,800 to 10,000 steps per day
Studies show that every 2,000 steps reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, and premature death by 10%, peaking at 10,000 steps per day.
Additionally, walking just under 10,000 (9,800) steps a day may reduce the risk of dementia by 50%. And those who walked about 3,800 steps each day had a 25% lower risk.
Also, according to the National Institutes of Health, “Adults who walked more than 8,000 steps a day had a lower risk of death over the next 10 years than those who walked only 4,000 steps a day.”
Speed: 80-112 steps per minute
To compare walking pace, researchers created two categories.
- Pedestrians taking less than 40 steps per minute (typical pace maintained when moving from place to place)
- Individuals who walked more than 40 steps per minute or what they defined as “purposeful” walking
When we reviewed the participants’ data about seven years later, we found that those who walked more vigorously had the most health benefits.
This group, which included people who walked about 80 steps per minute, had a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and premature death than other groups, the study’s authors told CNN.
Walking at a faster pace also proved beneficial in lowering the risk of dementia.At 112 steps per minute, individuals were able to reduce their risk of mitigating the condition by 38%.
Here’s what else you should know
Both studies conducted in the UK collected health data from over 75,000 people between 2013 and 2015 and reviewed the data about seven years later.
Individuals included in the study did not have cardiovascular disease, cancer, or dementia when the study first began.
All participants included in the final analysis wore a device that tracked steps for at least 16 hours daily for at least 3 days to monitor average physical activity.
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