New Delhi: A sedentary lifestyle is increasingly linked to health risks, particularly cardiovascular disease. Insufficient physical activity now affects more than a quarter of the global population. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified physical inactivity as the fourth leading cause of death worldwide, contributing to 3.2 million deaths annually. This issue worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, as physical activity levels dropped and have yet to fully recover.
Common health advice suggests that walking at least 10,000 steps daily may help mitigate these risks. However, recent research offers more encouraging news—substantial health benefits may be achieved with fewer daily steps than previously thought.
A major study, the world’s largest, published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology has revealed that walking 3,867 steps per day is enough to begin lowering the risk of death from any cause. Moreover, taking just 2,337 steps per day can reduce the risk of death specifically from cardiovascular diseases. This large-scale analysis reviewed data from 226,889 individuals across 17 studies conducted globally, making it one of the most comprehensive investigations of daily step counts and health benefits to date.
Step count benefits
The findings showed that health benefits increase with additional steps. For every 1,000 extra steps taken daily, the risk of death from any cause decreases by approximately 15%, while an additional 500 steps each day reduces the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by around 7%. Notably, the research demonstrated a positive correlation between step count and longevity, with no observed upper limit for these benefits; even those walking up to 20,000 steps per day continued to experience incremental health improvements.
The study was led by Professor Maciej Banach, a cardiology expert from the Medical University of Lodz in Poland and an adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University. Professor Banach and his team found that the benefits of increased physical activity apply across age groups, genders, and various climate regions. Their analysis suggests that walking as little as 4,000 steps daily significantly lowers the risk of death from all causes, while even fewer steps are needed to reduce deaths specifically related to heart disease.
The study followed participants over an average of seven years, with a mean age of 64. Results indicated a slightly smaller reduction in mortality risk among older adults compared to younger individuals. Among participants aged 60 and older, walking between 6,000 and 10,000 steps daily was associated with a 42% reduction in mortality risk, whereas younger adults who walked between 7,000 and 13,000 steps saw a 49% risk reduction.
Though the study did not assess the impact of step counts on people with pre-existing conditions or account for racial and socioeconomic differences, its findings reinforce the value of regular movement for health. Researchers continue to explore the benefits of various physical activities, including high-intensity exercises, to determine their impacts across different age groups and health conditions.
