YOU don’t have to walk 10,000 steps a day to ward off an early grave, a study shows.
The hard-to-achieve goal is generally held up as the ideal step count to ensure you have a long and healthy life.
GettyWalking 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day could be enough to reduce your risk of an early death, research shows[/caption]
But research shows as few as 6,000 could be equally effective in boosting your longevity.
A team of US experts analysed data from more than 50,000 to see whether the amount you actually need depends on your age.
Professor Amanda Paluch, of the University of Massachusetts Amherst, said: “What we saw was this incremental reduction in risk as steps increase, until it levels off.
“And the levelling occurred at different step values for older versus younger adults.
“The major takeaway is there’s a lot of evidence suggesting that moving even a little more is beneficial, particularly for those who are doing very little activity.
“More steps per day are better for your health. And the benefit in terms of mortality risk levels off around 6,000 to 8,000 for older adults and 8,000 to 10,000 for younger adults.”
Lazy lifestyles are a top killer, according to the World Health Organization.
Not exercising enough has been linked to higher rates of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and dementia.
The NHS recommends Brits do some type of physical activity every day, with adults aiming to do strength training at least twice a week.
They should try and do two-and-a-half hours of moderate intensity activity — like brisk walking — a week, according to the guidelines.
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.
The current paper, published in Lancet Public Health, analysed data from 15 studies across four continents.
They looked at the effect of daily step counts and walking speed on premature death, taking into account people’s ages.
While walking speed had no effect on people’s risk of an early death, walking at least 7,000 steps a day helped cut a middle-aged person’s chances significantly.
People who walked more than 7,800 steps a day were at least 40 per cent less likely to suffer premature death.
But the benefits of more steps rounded off past 10,000 steps, suggesting most of the benefits are seen in lower step counts.