It’s much less than we think.
Walking has benefits at all levels: it strengthens the muscles, makes the heart work, strengthens the bones, strengthens the joints, oxygenates the brain, maintains a stable weight, reduces anxiety, improves immunity… It would also be essential for longevity. But how many steps do you need to take to gain years of life? Every day, every step counts. The more we walk, the more life expectancy we gain, summarize Taiwanese-American researchers.
For their study published in the prestigious journal The Lancetscientists followed more than 400,000 healthy people aged 20 and over (half men, half women) for 8 years and analyzed the amount of moderate-intensity physical exercise (such as walking at a brisk pace). lively) which they practiced every week via a self-questionnaire.
Compared to inactive people, people who walk briskly for 15 minutes a day (or 92 minutes a week) have a 14% reduced risk of mortality from all causes (cardiovascular diseases, cancers, etc.). Above all, they have a longer life expectancy of 3 years compared to sedentary individuals. These benefits were applicable to all age groups and both sexes, as well as to people at risk of cardiovascular disease, the researchers said. Walking for 15 minutes at a brisk pace consists of moving at a walking speed of between 6 to 8 km/h, which amounts to covering 1.5 to 2 km in 1/4 hour, or approximately 3,000 steps.
However, 3,000 steps per day remain “too few” for overall health, according to cardiologists. The ideal is to do “at least 4,000 steps per day or even between 6,000 and 7,000 steps (i.e. 1 half hour of brisk walking) if you tend to be sedentary”told us Dr Catherine Monpère, cardiologist and member of the French Federation of Cardiology (FFC) during a previous interview. In addition to walking, you must add other weekly physical activities such as cardio, muscle strengthening, flexibility and balance exercises.