How Walking More Helps Older People Live Longer
The association between daily step count and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: a meta-analysis.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The largest drop in mortality risk occurs at relatively low step counts (around 4,400–5,500 steps), not 10,000 as commonly believed.
Popular culture promotes 10,000 steps as the gold standard, but this study shows most of the benefit is already achieved well below that number — challenging a long-standing wellness myth.
Practical Takeaways
Aim to increase your daily steps by 1,000 — even if you don’t reach 10,000 — to meaningfully reduce your risk of early death.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
The largest drop in mortality risk occurs at relatively low step counts (around 4,400–5,500 steps), not 10,000 as commonly believed.
Popular culture promotes 10,000 steps as the gold standard, but this study shows most of the benefit is already achieved well below that number — challenging a long-standing wellness myth.
Practical Takeaways
Aim to increase your daily steps by 1,000 — even if you don’t reach 10,000 — to meaningfully reduce your risk of early death.
Publication
Journal
European journal of preventive cardiology
Year
2023
Authors
Maciej Banach, J. Lewek, Stanisław Surma, P. Penson, A. Sahebkar, S. Martin, Gani Bajraktari, M. Henein, Željko Reiner, A. Bielecka-Dabrowa, I. Bytyçi
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Claims (8)
Walking every day — even if it's just regular walking, not exercise — is linked to living longer for older women.
Older women who walk about 4,400 steps a day tend to live longer than those who walk only 2,700 steps. More walking is linked to lower risk of dying from any cause.
Walking more every day is linked to living longer and having a healthier heart, and you get the biggest benefits just by going from very few steps to a moderate amount — after that, more walking still helps, but less and less each time.
Walking more every day is linked to living longer — every extra 1,000 steps you take is tied to a 15% lower chance of dying from any cause, especially once you pass about 3,900 steps a day.
The more you walk every day, the longer you might live — especially if you're already healthy or at risk for heart problems. Even small increases in steps can help, with benefits growing as you walk more than about 2,300 steps a day.