Study reveals new magic number of daily steps you need to live longer

The number of steps you take per day can vary depending on the time of the week, what you have planned or how you feel. Some mornings, you may start your day with a brisk walk around your neighborhood or feel especially motivated to hit the trails for a long walk with your pup. On other days, you might use your walking pad while taking work calls or tuning into virtual meetings. Whatever the case may be, if a regular walking habit is something you strive to achieve, you’re probably wondering how you can maximize the benefits that come with an invigorating walk. Well, a recent study published in Journal of the American College of Cardiology indicates how many steps should be taken each day to live longer, and the number is certainly achievable! Read on to learn more, and when you’re done, check out this is the new “magic number” of days you need to exercise to see results, the study says.

Here’s how many steps you should take every day to live longer.

When we talk about various healthy habits to promote a long, healthy existence, it should come as no surprise that regular exercise is at the top of the list. There is plenty of research linking lifelong exercise to prolonged health, helping to delay 40 chronic health problems/diseases. Some of these conditions include breast cancer, hypertension, insulin resistance, obesity, osteoporosis, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

Despite the incredible benefits associated with regular physical activity, statistics from 2022 reveal that only about 21% of men and approximately 19% of women in the United States engage in exercise, sports, and recreational activities every day.

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To encourage you to strengthen your daily movement without pushing yourself too much! While it certainly wouldn’t be frowned upon to aim for 10,000 steps a day, you really don’t need to do that much to reap the incredible benefits that come with walking. In fact, a recent study found that 8,000 steps is the new magic number of daily steps to extend your life.

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The research:

The research, which was led by the University of Granada, carried out a systematic review of the literature and a meta-analysis of data in 12 international studies examining over 110,000 participants. The findings of this study align with more recent research showing that health benefits can be reaped from taking fewer than 10,000 daily steps.

The study’s lead author, Francisco B. Ortega, a professor in UGR’s Department of Physical Education and Sport, explained: “Traditionally, many people thought you had to reach around 10,000 steps a day to get an idea of ​​health benefits that came out of Japan in the 1960s, but it had no basis in science “. Ortega added: “We have shown for the first time that the more steps you take, the better, and that there are no too many steps that have been proven to be harmful to health.”

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This research offers the first scientific evidence that the number of daily steps can significantly reduce the risk of early mortality. The average stride length is about 30 inches for men and 26 inches for women, so walking 8,000 steps a day equals about four miles. Additionally, research shows that walking at a faster pace, as opposed to a slower pace, is associated with a reduced risk of early death, regardless of how many steps you walk in a day.

“Our study gives people clear and easily measurable goals,” said Esme Bakker, one of the study’s lead authors who is a Marie Curie postdoctoral fellow at the University of Granada. “International recommendations for physical activity advise adults to exercise from 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity per week. But most people don’t know what exercises are considered moderate intensity, making it difficult to confirm their compliance with this exercise standard. Counting steps is much simpler, especially since most people today have a smartphone or a smartwatch.”

Alexa Melardo