A 30-minute run or 10,000 steps: research shows which is better for weight loss
Taking at least 10,000 steps a day has long been considered the gold standard for exercise.
However, research shows that focusing on the time you spend exercising rather than the number of steps can be just as effective for weight loss, longevity and a reduced risk of heart disease.
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston looked at four years of data from nearly 15,000 women over the age of 62.
Each participant wore a fitness tracker to measure activity levels and was given health questionnaires to complete every year.
The team found that those who took 8,000 to 8,500 steps per day reduced their risk of heart disease by 40 percent, compared to those who took about 3,000 steps daily.
Women in the study, published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine, were asked to wear fitness trackers on their hips to measure effort in minutes and steps
Furthermore, they found that the same risk reduction applied to those who exercised 75 minutes a day – suggesting that measuring steps may not be necessary.
The study is one of several recent reports debunking the 10,000-step rule, as some experts claim there is no “magic” number for exercise.
Dr. Rikuta Hamaya, lead author and investigator of the study in the Department of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said: ‘For some, especially younger people, exercise may include activities such as tennis, soccer, walking or jogging, all of which can be easy to do. follow with steps.’
‘For others, however, it may consist of bike rides or swimming, where monitoring the duration of the effort is easier. That’s why it’s important that physical activity guidelines provide multiple ways to achieve goals.”
‘Exercise looks different for everyone and almost all forms of exercise are beneficial to our health.’
The team recruited 14,399 women over the age of 62 who were considered “healthy,” meaning they did not have heart disease or cancer. The average age of the participants was 72 years.
Between 2011 and 2015, every woman was asked to wear a fitness tracker on their hip at all times, including while sleeping or showering.
Each year, the researchers answered questionnaires about health habits such as smoking and drinking, height, weight, menopause and personal and family medical history.
These were used to determine the participants’ risk of heart disease and death.
The team followed the women until the end of 2022.
On average, participants did 62 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week and took a total of 5,183 steps per day. In 2022, nine percent of participants died and four percent developed heart disease.
The women were divided into percentiles based on the number of minutes they exercised or the number of steps they took.
The team found that those who spent the most time (about 200 minutes) exercising or took the most steps (about 8,000 to 8,500) reduced their risk of heart disease and death by as much as 40 percent compared to those in the lowest percentile (nine). . up to 12 minutes of exercise or approximately 2,800 to 3,000 steps).
“The findings suggest that patients can choose between a step or a timed goal to lower their risk of death or cardiovascular disease,” the researchers wrote.
‘These data support the case for including both time-based and step-based guidelines in future PA (physical activity) recommendations, giving individuals the flexibility to choose and track their preferred activity metrics.’
‘Clinicians can thus guide female patients in their 60s or older to use time- or step-based targets, depending on their preferences, to monitor their PA levels.’
There were several limitations to the study, including that most of the women were white and “of higher socioeconomic status.” Additionally, the study was observational, so the findings cannot be confirmed.
The research was published on Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine.