Getting Your Daily Steps Is Important, But It's Not Just The Amount That Matters

The number of steps you take in a day isn't the only thing that matters. New research shows that the pace at which you take them is also a factor.

One of the largest analyses to date shows that people who walk at a faster pace have better health outcomes.

The 10,000-step daily target has become a global sensation but it's based on surprisingly little evidence. The number was pulled out of thin air in the 1960's to get people to buy the product.

Scientists have been trying to see if the popular health suggestion is up to snuff. After about 6,000 steps, the health benefits of daily walking start to diminish. Every extra step counts according to other research.

Your speed is another factor that should be taken into account.

There is strong evidence that a person's walking pace is related to their health.

Compared to those who walked slower, those who walked at a faster pace had a lower risk of dementia, as well as a lower risk of all-cause mortality, cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The optimal number for intensity in the study was 112 steps per minute for 30 minutes each day.

"Step count is easy to understand and widely used by the public to track activity levels thanks to the growing popularity of fitness trackers and apps, but rarely do people think about the pace of their steps," said Stamatakis.

The studies could inform the first formal step-based physical activity guidelines and help develop public health programs aimed at preventing chronic disease.

Two population-based studies were done over the course of two years. One focused on cancer and cardiovascular disease and the other on dementia, but relied on adult participants between 40 and 79 years old. The cohort were checked up again seven years after that.

Both studies are observational and can't tell us anything. These are some of the largest studies to analyze walking speed in relation to health outcomes.

The findings from both papers show that the more steps a person takes in a day, the better their health outcomes.

There doesn't seem to be a minimum number of steps a person needs to take to reap the benefits.

The authors found a lower risk of death for every 2,000 steps.

The optimum daily dose of walking was around 9,800 steps. The risk of dementia seems to have been halved at this threshold.

Slow walkers can achieve these benefits, but fast walkers can give their brains a bigger health boost.

Matthew Ahmadi, who studies physical activity at the University of Australia, says that 10,000 steps a day is the sweet spot for health benefits and walking faster is associated with additional benefits.

Longer-term use of trackers will shed more light on the health benefits associated with certain levels and intensities of daily stepping.

There were two studies published in the same journal.