A group of researchers led by the Spanish University of the country's city of Granada proved that it is essential to take 8,000 steps per day to reduce the risk of premature death, the study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, revealed.
A systematic literature review and meta-analysis of data from 12 international studies involving more than 110,000 participants carried out by a team of scientists from Spain, the Netherlands and the United States showed that most of the health benefits are seen at around 7,000-8,000 steps, especially in terms of cardiovascular system.
"We've shown for the first time that the more steps you take, the better, and that there is no excessive number of steps that has been proven to be harmful to health," the lead author of the study, Francisco Ortega was quoted by media as saying.
Furthermore, the study noted that the speed of walking is also connected to the impact on health. Faster walking is more efficient in terms of reduction of risk of mortality, regardless of the total number of steps per day. The results of the study are valid for both men and women.
According to the study, 8,000 steps equals approximately 6.4 kilometers, given the average human stride.
In addition, the researchers underlined that the positive effect on health enhances with every 500 additional steps.
"In this study, we show that measurable benefits can be obtained with small increases in the number of steps per day, and that for people with low levels of physical activity, every additional 500 steps improves their health. This is good news because not everyone can walk almost 9,000 steps a day, at least not at first, so you can set small, reachable goals and gradually make progress and increase the number of steps per day," the researchers were cited as saying.
Although the more steps one takes, the better it is for his body, it is also crucial to consider a person's age when setting a step target, Ortega told media.
"More steps are never bad. Our study showed that even as many as 16,000 steps a day does not pose a risk; on the contrary, there are additional benefits compared to walking 7,000-9,000 steps a day, but the differences in risk reduction are small. Furthermore, the step target should be age appropriate, with younger people being able to set a higher target than older people. It is also important to note that our study only looked at the effect on the risk of all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease," she said.
One of the lead authors of the research, Esmee Bakker reportedly added that the study provides "clear and easily measurable goals" for people seeking to meet the recommended standard of 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise.
"Counting steps is much simpler, especially since most people have a smartphone or smartwatch these days. Herein lies the importance of our study: to provide simple and concrete targets for the number of daily steps that people can easily measure with their phones and smartwatches or wristbands, and thereby contribute to people's health," Bakker concluded.