Walking 1,000 more steps a day can make you live longer

New research has found that increasing – and not by much – the steps we take every day could have a positive effect on longevity. It would only take 1,000 more steps to live longer. Walking 1,000 more steps a day increases longevity. You don’t need to take long walks every day to improve your health. Even a small increase in steps throughout the day has been linked to a number of beneficial effects including better heart health, sleep quality, and mental health. An advantage found, both by increasing the duration of a single walk and by increasing movement in short sessions throughout the day, has been confirmed by a new study presented at the Conference on Epidemiology, Prevention, Lifestyle, and Cardiometabolic Health. 2021 from the American Heart Association. According to the research presented, people who took more steps each day had a significantly lower risk of death than those who were more sedentary or less active. The researchers analyzed data from 16,732 women aged 60 and over who had a pedometer that measured their routes and steps over a period of four to seven days. All of the women were part of the Women’s Health Study, a large study of heart disease, cancer and long-term disease prevention. Based on the steps taken by each participant, the women were divided into two groups: those who took 10 minutes or more than walking with few interruptions and those who only walked short distances, such as climbing stairs or getting to their car being these activities common in their daily routine.The researchers followed the participants for an average of 6 years and were able to notice a 32% decrease in deaths among those who took at least 2,000 steps a day. But compared to not taking daily steps, even 1,000 more steps contribute to a 28% lower risk of death. However, it should be noted that, according to the scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who conducted the study, taking several steps in short sessions offers greater advantages than a single long walk. However, these benefits tend to be the same when walking around 4,500 steps every day, so even a small increase in the time we spend walking during the day can have a significant impact on our health. Since all study participants were female, white, and mostly elderly, more research is needed to determine whether the findings apply to men, younger women, and people of different ethnic groups.