How many steps a day do you really need for improve your health? It's not 10,000
dementia
,
depression
and dying from
cancer
, as well as being good for your
heart
, according to research. And you may not need to walk as far as previously thought to reap those benefits.
The
UK's
NHS
recommends a brisk 10-minute walk every day. Many people aim to walk 10,000 steps, but struggle to achieve it. Now researchers have calculated that even 7,000 steps could be enough to protect health.
Scientists examined data from more than 160,000 adults and found that walking 7,000 steps a day was associated with a reduced risk of a number of serious health conditions and death.
Whereas previous studies have mainly examined the links between step count and heart health or overall death rates, this systematic review and meta analysis, published in the Lancet Public Health, sought to comprehensively examine how taking more steps per day could reduce the risk of a range of other health conditions as well.
READ MORE
Compared with those who walked 2,000 steps a day, the researchers found that achieving the 7,000 daily step target was linked to a 37 per cent reduction in risk of dying from cancer, while the risk was 14 per cent lower for type 2 diabetes, 38 per cent for dementia, 22 per cent depression and 28 per cent for falls respectively. It was also associated with a 25 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 47 per cent reduction in overall risk of dying.
Although step count does not measure the quality or intensity of exercise, the findings underscore the importance of being active. There is a 'return on investment' with every additional 1,000 steps taken and even 4,000 steps per day reduced the risk of disease, compared with very low activity levels, the researchers observed.
Although the risk continues to decrease above 7,000 steps, the rate at which it reduces that risk starts to slow. Melody Ding, professor of public health at the University of Sydney and lead author of the research, said that those who already walked 10,000 steps should not go back to 7,000, but that 7,000 was a more practical target for those who were currently inactive.
'Those who are currently active and achieving the 10,000 steps a day, keep up the good work – there is no need to modify your step counts. However, for those of us who are far from achieving the 10,000 targets, getting to 7,000 steps/day offers almost comparable health benefits for the outcomes we examined,' Prof Ding said.
[
I walk to work in Dublin every day... daydreaming can't be done on a bus
Opens in new window
]
Responding to the findings, Dr Daniel Bailey, reader in sedentary behaviour and health at Brunel University of London, said the research helped debunk the myth that 10,000 steps per day should be the target for optimal health.
'The real-world implications are that people can get health benefits just from small increases in physical activity, such as doing an extra 1,000 steps per day,' Dr Bailey said
'To achieve the best reductions in risk, aiming for 5,000-7,000 per day can be recommended, which will be more achievable for many people than the unofficial target of 10,000 steps that has been around for many years.'
Dr Andrew Scott, senior lecturer in clinical exercise physiology at the University of Portsmouth, pointed out that not all activity was captured by step counts. 'The steps per day is useful when people's exercise is weight-bearing, however cycling, swimming and rowing are not well-represented by the steps-per-day model.'
June Davison, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: 'We know that regular walking is one of the easiest ways to help maintain a healthy lifestyle and reduce your risk of heart disease.
'Adults should aim to build up to a total of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week, but getting active isn't always easy. Incorporating activity snacks, such as walking while taking phone calls, or taking a brisk 10-minute walk during your lunch break, can all count to reduce your chances of developing heart disease.' – Guardian
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Boy who suffered catastrophic injuries after fall at park settles case with €3.3m interim payment
A boy who suffered 'catastrophic and life-changing' injuries after he fell and hit his head at a Dublin City Council-owned park almost 10 years ago has settled a High Court action against the local authority and a GP with an interim payment of €3.3 million. James Higgins, who is now 12, from East Wall, Dublin 3, requires around-the-clock care, is essentially non-verbal, suffers with epilepsy and will be a wheelchair user for life, the court heard on Friday. The interim settlement agreement was reached following mediation. The case will return to court in six years. The court heard there were complex questions relating to causation and liability in the case. The case had been contested. READ MORE Kevin Higgins brought proceedings on behalf of his son James against Dublin City Council and Dr John Taylor, claiming they acted negligently and in breach of their duties. Jeremy Maher SC, for James, said the boy, when he was two-and-a-half years old, suffered 'catastrophic and life-changing' arising from a fall at May Park, Malahide Road, Dublin 5, on December 1st, 2015. Mr Maher said the boy, while retrieving a football, fell on an all-weather soccer pitch where slush had accumulated and hit the left side of his head. Mr Maher said it was their case the pitch was in dangerous condition and should not have been in use and that the council was in breach of its duty and negligent in its management of the park. James was subsequently brought to Dr Taylor's surgery at Ardlea Road, Artane, Dublin 5, Mr Maher said, where it is alleged the GP was negligent and breached his duty in failing to immediately refer the child to hospital. James was later that evening brought to Children's Health Ireland Temple Street. There it was determined he had suffered a bleed within his skull and he underwent emergency surgery, Mr Maher said. Mr Maher said this surgery was life-saving, but the damage had advanced to such an extent that James was left with devastating injuries. The barrister said James required around-the-clock care, was essentially non-verbal, suffered with epilepsy and would never be able to work or live independently. Mr Maher said James's 'heroic' parents had given up their careers to care for James. Mr Maher said that following mediation, the defendants had agreed the interim settlement of €3.3 million. Mr Justice Paul Coffey approved the settlement, stating that James's case was a reminder of the fragility of life and the limitless nature of parental love. He said it had been 'deeply humbling' to listen to Mr Higgins address the court about James's condition and their experience of his care.
Irish Times
7 hours ago
- Irish Times
HSE paid €720,000 invoice twice using different systems, audit finds
Two separate parts of the HSE , which operated different financial systems, paid a supplier more than €700,000 for the same invoice, new accounts published by the health service show. In a note on the accounts, the State's financial watchdog, the Comptroller and Auditor General maintains the HSE has not recovered the overpayment. The accounts also show that what is described as an 'asset', constructed in 2009 at a cost of €1.4 million but never used for its intended purposes, had been written off last year. The accounts say the cost of the write off was €800,000. The annual report and accounts for 2024 also reveal that about €4 million in payments due from the health insurance industry in respect of subscribers treated in HSE facilities was written off due to delays in submitting bills. The report says the risk of bad debts 'is most relevant' in relation to claims from one health insurer, which is not identified. The report says the HSE entered into a memorandum of agreement with a health insurer in 2016 in relation to accommodation charges for patients with private health insurance. 'The arrangement entitles the Executive to be paid 70 per cent of its charges, on account, pending the submission and validation within a 12-month period of a fully completed claim. Failure to meet the submission deadline results in forfeiture of the full value (100 per cent) of the claim.' [ Listeriosis outbreak 'unusual' as ready meals must be cooked, and bacteria is sensitive to heat, professor says Opens in new window ] 'For a sample of eight hospitals examined on audit, it was noted that losses incurred in 2024 as a result of delays in submitting completed claims amounted to €2 million. The Executive estimates that losses for the remaining hospitals that it manages were €2.1 million, resulting in an estimated total loss of €4.1 million for 2024. The annual report also shows that one HSE employee received just under €700,000 in total payments including basic pay, allowances, overtime and weekend, night duty and on-call fees last year. A total of ten HSE staff were paid in excess of €500,000 overall. The report also reveals that personal protective equipment worth about €22 million and vaccines to the value of about €11 million had been written off because they had become obsolete. The report shows that the supplier who was paid twice had entered into an arrangement with the HSE in 2020 for the supply of diagnostic devices, ancillary supplies and equipment as well as information technology and support. It says the overall system 'was considered to be of significant value in monitoring the condition of Covid-19 patients in hospital settings'. Ultimately the supplier received about €15 million up to 2024. However, the report raises concerns about procurement arrangements and controls over how the money was being spent. [ Inquiry begins into historical use of anti-epileptic drug and effects on pregnant women Opens in new window ] 'The initial arrangement with the supplier was put in place without a competitive procurement process on the basis of emergency circumstances, as provided for in procurement legislation. However, the arrangement continued each year until 2024 without being regularised through an appropriate competitive tendering process. Accordingly, it represented significant non-compliant procurement over a number of years.' 'The payments to the supplier over the period 2020 to 2024 amounted to a total of €15 million. However, the terms of the procurement arrangement were not set out in a formal written contract with the supplier. In practice, the arrangement was that a number of units of the Health Service Executive were invoiced from time to time by the supplier for devices and ancillary items. This included prepayment each quarter from mid-2022 to mid-2024 for supply of a standard number of devices, to be drawn down as required by individual hospitals. The Executive did not maintain central records of the total number of units paid for. The number of devices received by hospitals, or paid for and remaining undrawn from the supplier is not known. The Executive also does not know how many of the items paid for were actually used in its hospitals.' 'The Executive discloses that as part of efforts to improve control over the receipt of goods, it identified that one invoice from the supplier to the value of €723,000 had been paid twice, in two different areas of the Executive operating at the time (in December 2021) on separate financial systems. The Executive has not recovered the overpayment from the supplier.'
Irish Times
8 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘A serious threat to public health': Doctors warn about delay to mandatory alcohol health labels
The delay to introducing mandatory warning labels on alcohol products by two years is a 'serious threat to public health', doctors have warned. The warnings, which would draw a direct link between alcohol and cancer, are among a raft of measures in the Public Health Alcohol Act to reduce consumption. The labels were due to be introduced in May 2026. However, this week Tánaiste Simon Harris confirmed the plans would need to be delayed in light of the potential impact of US president Donald Trump's threatened tariffs on trade. The labels will be delayed until 2028. The Irish Medical Organisation , the largest representative body for doctors in Ireland, has condemned the delay, stating it will result in preventable diseases and alcohol-related cancers. READ MORE [ Drinks Ireland warned Taoiseach that alcohol health labelling plans seen as 'trade barrier' by US Opens in new window ] Dr Anne Dee, president of the IMO and a consultant in public health, said the delay means 'health being ignored in favour of corporate interests'. 'It will result in preventable incidences of cancer, increased incidences of liver disease, and harm to children because of a refusal to fully enact a bill signed into law seven years ago,' she said. Under the law, once implemented, all bottles, cans and other containers must contain a back label stating: drinking alcohol causes liver disease; there is a direct link between alcohol and fatal cancers; a warning symbol for drinking when pregnant; and the website The label should also state the quantity of grammes of alcohol and the energy value expressed in kilojoules and kilocalories. The label must be at least 60mm wide and not less than 30mm high surrounded by a black border. Dr Dee said the labels are about giving people 'basic information' about the risks of cancer. 'These are irrefutable facts. There is no excuse for keeping them off the label. The longer this Government delays, the more irreversible damage is done.' The IMO is the latest organisation to criticise the delay in introducing the mandatory labels. Dr Sheila Gilheany, chief executive of Alcohol Action Ireland (AAI) also described the decision as a 'blow for public health' 'In the period to 2028 more than 3,000 people in Ireland will be diagnosed with cancer caused by alcohol. This includes some of the most common cancers in Ireland such as breast and bowel cancer with one in every eight breast cancers arising from alcohol,' she said. 'There will be upwards of 15,000 babies born with [Foetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder] FASD, which is a completely preventable neuro-developmental condition that has lifelong implications and is estimated to cost the Irish exchequer €2.4 billion a year in terms of service need.' Earlier this week, The Irish Times reported that drinks industry representative organisation, Drinks Ireland, warned Taoiseach Micheál Martin in April that plans for health labels on alcohol have been 'identified as a barrier to trade by the US'. The comments were made during a meeting sought to discuss the impact of US president Donald Trump 's threatened tariffs.
