A recent study brings promising news for individuals whose occupations or lifestyles necessitate prolonged periods of sitting.
According to researchers, every step taken beyond 2,200 steps per day correlates with a reduction in the risk of death and cardiovascular disease.
These benefits escalate up to 9,000 to around 10,500 steps daily, showcasing significant health advantages even for individuals with extended sedentary time.
Keith Diaz, PhD, an associate professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, views these findings as a straightforward guide for public health messaging regarding the benefits of walking.
“We all share the same goal, whether we spend eight hours sitting at work or not,” he explained to Healthline. “Everyone should aim for 9,000 to 10,500 steps per day. Achieving this target yields comparable health benefits, eliminating the need for further steps.”
Diaz, uninvolved in the recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine on March 5, emphasized that previous research has linked increased daily step counts to a decreased risk of death and cardiovascular events like heart attacks and strokes.
The optimal number of steps reported in prior studies ranged from 4,400 to 10,000 steps per day. Notably, excessive sedentary time—defined as prolonged sitting or lying down while awake—has been associated with elevated risks of death, cardiovascular events, type 2 diabetes, and cancer-related mortality.
The recent study, encompassing 72,174 participants from the UK Biobank study with an average age of 61 and 58% female, employed wrist-worn accelerometers to monitor physical activity and sedentary time for 7 days.
Results showed that individuals taking 6,222 steps per day on average had their bottom 5% deemed as a comparison group, with a cut-off of 2,200 steps daily. This approach facilitated the assessment of increased step counts’ impact on death and cardiovascular event risks.
After nearly seven years of follow-up, 1,633 participants had passed away, and 6,190 had experienced one or more cardiovascular events. Researchers, considering other contributing factors, identified that the optimal step count for maximizing health benefits was between 9,000 to 10,500 steps per day.
Furthermore, they estimated that 50% of these benefits were attainable with 4,000 to 4,500 steps daily. Interestingly, these outcomes applied to individuals with both high and low sedentary time.
Sabrena Jo, an ACE-certified trainer not associated with the research, commended the findings, affirming that integrating more walking into daily routines substantially improves health outcomes. She stressed the simplicity and efficacy of walking in mitigating the risks associated with sedentary lifestyles and cardiovascular diseases.