It’s probably obvious, given our website titled 3mph.org, that we’re passionate about walking. The concept originally centered on minimalism: slowing down, seeing, and feeling the world we live in more fully. The more we walked, however, the more it became obvious that walking was a vital opportunity for health.
Now there’s a new meta-analysis that confirms that walking is even more powerful than just better health. A 50% improvement in all-cause mortality from walking not only keeps you healthy, it keeps you alive. The study suggests that it’s dose-dependent, and more is definitely better, but if you can get 7000 steps per day, it increases your odds of staying alive by 50%.
“Walking is man’s best medicine.” – Hippocrates
In the not-too-distant past, it wasn’t unusual for folks to get upwards of 10,000 or 15,000 steps a day, and that’s still what we aim for, but in the present day and age, people spend far more time sitting behind their monitor or on their couch than they do walking.
I think being outdoors in the sunshine and clean air is probably at least as valuable as the cardio component of walking. Greeting each sunrise, digging our toes into the grass, and grounding with Mother Earth are how we enjoy the start of each new day. Then it’s off to give the dogs their morning workout in the cool morning stillness and collect the first few thousand steps of the day.
Excerpt from the Meta-Analysis
Three key findings emerged from the meta-analysis. First, even modest daily step counts were associated with health benefits. Second, 7000 steps per day was associated with sizeable risk reductions across most outcomes, compared with the reference of 2000 steps per day. Third, even though risk continued to decrease beyond 7000 steps per day, it plateaued for some outcomes. Notably, the dose-response relationship might differ by outcomes, participant age, and device type.
A quantitative daily step count target might depend on factors such as the magnitude of risk reduction and practical considerations, including how achievable the recommendation is for the general population. In the meta-analyses, health risks generally continued to decrease with every 1000 steps per day increment across most outcomes, up to the highest analysable category of 12,000 steps per day.
Although 10,000 steps per day, an unofficial target for decades without a clear evidence base, was associated with substantially lower risks for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease incidence, cancer mortality, dementia, and depressive symptoms than 7000 steps per day, the incremental improvement beyond 7000 steps per day was small, and there was no statistical difference between 7000 steps per day and a higher step count for all the other outcomes.
Therefore, 7000 steps per day might be a more realistic and achievable recommendation for some, but 10,000 steps per day can still be a viable target for those who are more active. Importantly, even a modest step count was associated with lower risk. For example, 4000 steps per day compared with 2000 steps per day was associated with substantial risk reduction, such as a 36% lower risk in all-cause mortality.
The message from the meta-analysis is clear: every step counts, regardless of the specific quantitative target. If you can’t walk 10,000 steps, walk 7,000. If you can’t walk 7,000 steps, walk 4,000, but get out there and walk; your life depends on it!