Daily Walking: The study revealed that even if women achieve the target of walking 4,000 steps just one or two days a week, they can still get significant health benefits.

How does walking 4000 steps reduce the risk of premature death?

Walking 4,000 Steps a Day May Reduce Early Death Risk: Walking 10,000 steps a day is often recommended for staying healthy, but a new study has questioned this notion. According to research, if older women walk 4,000 steps a day, it can significantly reduce the risk of premature death and heart disease. Importantly, it's not necessary to take a long walk every day. 

How much walking is right?

The study revealed that even if women achieve the goal of walking 4,000 steps just one or two days a week, they can still reap significant health benefits. Researchers say that the total number of steps taken, rather than the number of days per week, is more important for positive health impacts. This finding challenges the long-popular standard of 10,000 steps per day. Experts believe that there is no single, fixed, or best pattern for achieving health benefits. The most important thing is to keep the body active, and people can engage in physical activity in any way that suits them.

What is special for women?

The study found that compared to less active women, those who completed 4,000 steps per day one or two days a week had a 26 percent lower risk of death from any cause. The risk of death related to heart disease was also reduced by 27 percent. According to the research, if this goal was achieved three days a week, the benefits could be even greater. In such women, the risk of premature death was reduced by up to 40 percent. Furthermore, the risk of heart disease was also reduced by up to 27 percent. 

Although women who walked 5,000 to 7,000 steps per day also experienced additional benefits, the increase was relatively limited. This group had a 32 percent lower risk of death, while the risk of death from heart disease decreased by about 16 percent. Researchers say that after a certain level, the benefits begin to slow.

Who were included in the research?

This study, conducted by researchers from several institutions, including Harvard University in the US, has been published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. The study included 13,547 women, whose average age was approximately 72 years. None of them had heart disease or cancer at the start of the study. During the research, participants wore step-counting devices for seven days, and their health status was monitored for approximately 11 years. During this period, 1,765 women died, while 781 women developed heart disease.

At the end of the study, the researchers concluded that walking more steps daily is associated with better health outcomes. They suggest that for older women, walking even 4,000 steps a day or two a week can be an effective step toward reducing the risk of premature death and heart disease.