Exercise can often feel like a daunting task, but recent research suggests that even modest efforts—like taking a few steps each day—can significantly impact your health and longevity. While the popular recommendation has long been 10,000 steps per day, new findings reveal that you can reap significant health benefits by walking far less.
Forget 10,000 Steps—Try 3,967 Instead
The origin of the 10,000-step goal is rooted more in marketing than science. Introduced in the 1960s by a Japanese pedometer company, it was a neat, round number with little research to back it up. However, modern studies have provided more clarity. Research from Poland indicates that walking as few as 3,967 steps per day can lower the risk of early death from any cause. For those aiming to protect their heart health, even walking 2,337 steps a day has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The study, led by cardiologist Professor Maciej Banach, reviewed data from 17 previous studies and found that the more you walk, the better your health outcomes. Each additional 1,000 steps beyond the minimum threshold resulted in a 15% reduction in the risk of early death. Banach confirms, “Our study proves that increasing daily step count leads to better health outcomes.”
Quick Wins: Just 11 Minutes of Walking Can Save Lives
If you’re pressed for time or find it challenging to fit exercise into your daily routine, there’s more good news. Researchers at Cambridge University have found that ten minutes of brisk walking each day could reduce the incidence of premature deaths by a third. You don’t set aside a special time for it; you can invest a short time and get the benefits. Those 11 minutes might take you to the corner store, or even to your local coffee shop, but they could also be helping you to live longer.
The allure of walking is that it is an activity that can be easily performed. I found that walking is even more unobtrusive than many other forms of exercise since one does not have to engage in equipment or gym memberships.
Short Bursts of Activity for Long-Term Gains
If even 11 minutes of continuous walking is too time-consuming, research has shown that short sharp blasts of intense activity throughout the day are good for you. Also, climbing stairs, rushing for a bus, or lifting sacks of groceries lowers the probability of fluid and blood clotting, which reaps heart disease and cancer. That’s right; going about our daily business and living our lives can all be made healthy and not necessarily through gym exercise! Research insights derived from wearable technology indicate that the various exercises that are conducted in brief activities can go a long way in helping people enjoy optimum health. When you accumulate a lot of conscious choices to do something positive in your day, such as tackling the stairs instead of waiting for the elevator or walking an additional block or two, you will start noticing real improvements in your state of health.
Boost Your Neat: Even Fidgeting Can Help
Not every health-improving activity has to be exercise-related. Have you ever heard of Neat—non-exercise activity thermogenesis? This term refers to the energy you expend doing everyday tasks such as folding clothes, cooking, or even fidgeting. While it might not feel like a workout, increasing your Neat can contribute to better health and potentially even reduce your mortality risk. Surprisingly, even chewing gum can increase energy expenditure.
So, the next time you feel too tired to work out, remember that every little bit helps. From pairing your socks to climbing the stairs, these activities all count toward improving your overall health. You don’t need to run marathons to boost your longevity; you just need to keep moving.
