It seems like everyone is obsessed with getting their steps these days. Walking is a great form of exercise, but no one agrees on the optimal distance for good health.
A study from 2023 said that 3,867 steps was the ideal number. That number was decided by looking at the results of 17 studies using the medical data of 226,880 people from around the world.
A new, much larger study disagrees with that number and says it takes even less. This new study analyzed 196 peer-reviewed articles using medical data from more than 30 million people. The researchers found that people who did moderate exercise, including brisk walking, for 75 minutes a week were 23 percent less likely to die young. With roughly 11 minutes of brisk walking daily, people lowered their heart disease risk by 17 percent and cancer by seven percent.
Walking is a great form of exercise. Unlike other workouts, it doesn’t require any equipment or a special space. “There’s no skill hurdle and people aren’t usually intimidated by it,” said certified strength and conditioning specialist Albert Matheny.
He continued, “Walking is great because it’s a cardiovascular exercise, but it’s also weight-bearing. That’s ultimately better for bone density and overall mobility.”
Mr. Matheny recommended aiming for 5,000+ steps a day. But he said that just doing what you can is good, and consistency is great. “You can also just try to go outside and walk whenever you can,” said Mr. Matheny. “It’s good for your mind and body.”
Another recent study on activity and longevity was slightly less optimistic but also included the number 11. It compared the life expectancy of the least and most active people to see how exercise impacts longevity. The results showed that if the least active 25 percent wanted to match the most active, they needed to add about 111 minutes of walking to their day. However, that might add up to 11 years onto their lives.
It’s not a perfect study. The study only tracked the activity levels of people for four days. And there are many factors outside of exercise that impact longevity. However, research shows that exercise boosts healthy aging and well-being.
No matter which of the studies you put weight behind, we think Mr. Matheny’s advice is sound: getting more exercise is better. Being consistent and finding more ways to walk is key. Making time in your day to walk can improve your health and mood. It might even help you live longer.
