‘Every step counts’: Walking faster with a lower step count may lower risk of early death
For decades, the 10,000 steps a day myth has given the impression we need to walk an often unachievable amount to benefit our health. But a new study has given hope to adults with sedentary lifestyles, finding they can improve their health with a lower step count if they walk fast enough.
The research from Monash University and the University of Sydney, which was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, showed a smaller step count can lower the risk of early death by up to 43 per cent if paired with a faster walking pace.
If you have little time or energy for a long walk, a faster, shorter walk can be just as beneficial. iStock
There is also good news for those who are unable to walk at a quick pace, with the study also finding a higher step count at a slower pace was just as effective at preventing early death.
“We found that the risk was substantially lower among those achieving a higher stepping pace but fewer than 5000 daily steps,” Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis, lead author and Director of the Monash Brain Park at the Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health in the Monash School of Psychological Sciences, said.
“Similarly, the risk of early death was substantially reduced among those clocking up 5000 to 7500 daily steps but at a lower stepping pace.”
Stamatakis said these findings are particularly useful for adults who face barriers to exercising, such as time constraints, disability or a lack of walkable spaces in their suburb.
The study analysed the data of more than 60,000 middle-aged participants from the UK. They wore an activity tracker for seven consecutive days over two years, and in the course of eight years 1697 participants died from any cause and 502 died from cardiovascular disease.
Dr Nicholas Koemel, study co-author and Senior Research Fellow at the Monash School of Psychological Sciences, said the 10,000 steps a day myth has been firmly debunked, making walking a more achievable activity for a lot of people.
“That heavily quoted step target actually came from a 1960s Japanese pedometer campaign rather than from evidence,” Dr Koemel said.
“For a 65-year-old managing a knee issue, a carer with fragmented time, or a shift worker, a high step target can be a reason to give up rather than a reason to start.
“The important message is that every step counts, and how you take those steps can also matter. Someone walking 4000 steps a day who walks them with more purpose is doing something worthwhile, and someone who cannot walk quickly can still benefit by gradually accumulating more steps at a slower pace.”
That doesn’t mean a random short, but quick walk, or a long, but slow stroll will make a big difference to health overall, it’s more about incorporating the study’s findings into your daily life and having a consistent routine.
“The body responds to habitual patterns, not to irregular and infrequent effort, so what counts is what you do on most days over months and years, not a motivated fortnight,” Associate Professor Ahmadi, co-author of the study, said.
You may already know whether you’re able to do more or less than 5000 steps a day, but pace is even more individual and might be something to experiment with as you begin tracking your steps.
“There is no single pace that suits everyone. A speed that feels very comfortable to a fit walker in their 40s may be maximal intensity for a 70-year-old,” Ahmadi said.
“The most practical test is also the simplest, which is to pay attention to your breathing: at a brisk pace that is maintained for at least a minute or so you should be breathing noticeably harder, feeling warmer, and still able to hold a conversation in short sentences, but you should not be able to sing comfortably.”
