A new study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology confirmed, the more you walk, the better. This is advice worth taking note of considering the negative impact sedentary lifestyles and poor diets have on our health and well-being.
This latest study is actually drawn from 17 previous studies examining the health benefits of walking. Researchers at the Medical University of Lodz in Poland noted:
“There is good evidence showing that inactivity and walking minimal steps/day increase the risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease and general ill-health. The optimal number of steps and their role in health is, however, still unclear. Therefore, in this meta-analysis, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between step count and all-cause mortality and CV mortality.”
Previous studies have actually shown that a step count of between 7000 and 8000 is optimal. We discussed these studies in this article which is worth a read.
However, the metadata from the latest study shows that 4000 steps is an adequate number to lower the risk of early death. The study also found that health benefits are optimised by 15% for each additional 1000 steps.
Although the researchers do not give their view on the optimal number of steps we should walk every day, it’s worth noting that the 17 studies from which the metadata was extracted involved an accumulated 226,889 participants. That’s a significant cohort of data to draw a satisfactory conclusion from.
4000 Steps and Counting
Although previous studies do show an average of 7500 steps should be a daily target, we appreciate that target is not achievable for many of us. There are various reasons for that, of course, but chiefly, time is of the essence for some people.
It’s understandable that when you work all day, you’re not particularly motivated to exercise in the evening. On-demand TV also influences us to have a “relaxing” night in to preserve energy for the next day.
However, it’s clear that this lifestyle choice and way of thinking is not beneficial for our health. We need a change in mindset. The Sweratcoin app is designed to provide you with the motivation to walk more and sit less.
Download the sweatcoin app now and start clocking up your steps. We convert your steps into a digital currency that can be used in exchange for goods from over 300 merchants.
It pays to walk.
