Exact number of steps you should walk each week to add 3 YEARS to your life, according to new study

FOR decades, where steps are concerned, 10,000 per day has been the magic number.

But now new research has found that far fewer can suffice.

10,000 steps is a goal that millions aim for on a regular basisAlamy

A study by insurer Vitality and the London School of Economics found that walking just 5,000 steps three days a week can increase life expectancy by three years.

To find this, they analysed the walking habits and overall health of more than one million people in the UK and South Africa over a decade.

They found 35 per cent of the UK population is “inactive”, which is fuelling an increase in chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, which in turns lead to more hospitalisations.

If half achieved 5,000 steps once a week, the reduction in hospitalisations could also lead to an estimated annual saving of £4billion for the NHS, the experts added.

Type 2 diabetes is at record high levels because of Brits’ burgeoning waistlines, with at least 3.9million sufferers.

The NHS spends at least £10billion annually on the disease – around 10 per cent of its entire budget.

Diabetes causes blood sugar levels to become too high because of problems with how the body produces the hormone insulin, which breaks down glucose.

While the positive impacts of strolling more were seen in all age groups, older people benefited the most.

Over-65s who walked more than 7,500 steps three times a week were at least 52 per cent less likely to suffer premature death.

This was much greater than the 38 per cent seen in those aged 45-65 and the 27 per cent reduction of the total population.

“Taking consistent steps to achieve a healthy habit is key, and we can see from this data that it’s never too late to start,” Neville Koopowitz, Vitality CEO, said.

The paper found that keeping up the habit was key to keeping people’s health in tip-top shape.

Walking at least 5,000 steps three times per week for two years can increase life expectancy by 2.5 years for men and three years for women, they found.

And the more steps you take, the better.

Those who manage and sustain a habit of 10,000 steps three times a week for three years can reduce their type 2 diabetes risk by up to 41 per cent.

Upping the number of walks to four or more times a week saw the chance of developing the disease fall even further, by 57 per cent.

Professor Joan Costa-Font, London School of Economics, said: “The findings of this study are a clear call to action for policymakers to promote prevention in public health and build on the power of healthy habits to improve individual and collective health outcomes.

“Successful habit-based interventions can lengthen life expectancy, entail considerable savings for public health services, improve productivity, and help address the significant long-term challenges posed by mental health, social isolation, and non-communicable diseases such as cancer and type 2 diabetes.”

The NHS recommends that Brits do some physical activity daily and do strength training at least twice a week.

According to the guidelines, they should try to do two-and-a-half hours of moderate-intensity activity — like brisk walking — a week.

Previous research shows walking 6,000 to 9,000 steps a day reduces the risk of heart disease by up to 50 per cent compared to walking just 2,000.