How many steps should you walk daily to keep heart attacks at bay?
Produced by: Manoj Kumar
Step Science
A new study in Circulation reveals that walking 6,000–9,000 steps daily reduces cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk by 40–50%, offering a simple way to promote heart health, especially for older adults.
Incremental Gains
Lead author Dr. Amanda Paluch states that for every additional 1,000 steps, there is a measurable reduction in CVD risk, making even small increases in daily steps impactful for health.
Age Matters
With an average age of 63, the study focused on older adults, showing that even moderate walking significantly benefits heart health and reduces strokes and heart attacks.
Holistic Benefits
Experts highlight that walking over 6,000 steps daily reduces inflammation, lowers insulin resistance, and improves blood pressure, offering benefits beyond cardiovascular health.
Actionable Advice
They advice starting with incremental increases of 500 steps per week, emphasizing that small, consistent changes lead to achieving the 7,000–10,000 step goal effortlessly.
Beyond Heart
It is noted that exercise benefits extend to reducing diabetes, acid reflux, and depression, with effects comparable to medications like BP reducers and statins.
Work-from-Home Fix
Experts underscore the importance of walking for those with sedentary lifestyles, noting that even 1,000–2,000 extra steps can make a significant difference for individuals with diabetes or hypertension.
Mental Boost
Walking also enhances mental health by improving balance, reducing the risk of falls, and decreasing depression, especially in older adults, according to experts.
Brisk is Better
Brisk walking, at around 100 steps per minute, amplifies benefits by improving circulation and metabolic health, making it a more effective form of daily exercise.