Exact number of daily steps to avoid an early death REVEALED – and it’s NOT 10,000

Ten thousand daily steps may no longer be the sweet spot for heart health.

Another lower exercise goal could be even more effective at reducing the risk of early death, researchers have suggested.

Walking just 2,700 steps a day – or about 2 km (1.2 miles) – is enough to reduce your chances of dying young or having a heart attack or stroke, scientists have found.

But hitting 8,700 reduced the risk by as much as 60 percent, one study found.

The findings provide “simple and concrete targets for daily step counts,” the researchers said.

The team, led by researchers from the University of Granada in Spain, reviewed twelve international studies that assessed the effect of daily steps on all-cause mortality for more than 110,000 participants.

Results, published in the Journal of the American College of CardiologyResearch found that participants who walked 2,517 steps per day had an eight percent lower risk of dying prematurely, compared to those who walked just 2,000 steps per day.

Meanwhile, hitting 2,735 reduced the risk of cardiovascular disease by 11 percent.

However, even greater benefits were seen by those who walked more.

The sweet spot for reducing the risk of premature death was 8,763, which was good at a 60 percent lower risk.

For cardiovascular disease, 7,126 steps per day was associated with the largest risk reduction, at 51 percent.

The study, which also involved researchers from the Netherlands, Spain and the US, found no difference in the ideal number of steps between men and women.

However, a higher pace was associated with a lower mortality risk – regardless of the total number of steps per day.

The study’s lead author, Professor Francisco Ortega from the University of Granada’s department of physical education and sport, said: ‘Traditionally, many people thought you needed to take around 10,000 steps a day to achieve health benefits, an idea that came from Japan. in the 1960s, but had no scientific basis.

‘More steps are never a bad thing. Our research showed that even 16,000 steps per day pose no risk.

‘On the contrary, there are additional benefits compared to walking 7,000-9,000 steps per day, but the differences in risk reduction are small.

‘In addition, the step goal must be age-appropriate, with young people being able to set a higher goal than older people.’

Dr. Esmée Bakker, a postdoctoral researcher in aerobic exercise and cardiovascular disease at the University of Granada, added: ‘What makes our study different is that for the first time we have set clear step targets.

‘In this study we show that measurable benefits can be achieved with small increases in the number of steps per day, and that for people with low physical activity, every additional 500 steps improves their health.

Dr. Bakker added: ‘Most people don’t know which exercises qualify as moderate intensity, making it difficult to verify whether they meet this training standard.

‘Counting steps is much easier, especially since most people have a smartphone or smartwatch these days.’

However, the researchers acknowledged that the study only took into account the risk of death and cardiovascular disease and did not examine how this might influence other factors, such as sleep quality and mental health.

Furthermore, they did not take into account whether the ideal step count was the same between different population groups, such as older or low-income populations.

But the findings add to a wealth of evidence that even small bouts of exercise can boost health.

Studies have previously shown that walking just 1,000 extra steps per day can reduce mortality risk by as much as 12 to 15 percent.

The 10,000 steps goal was designed by a Japanese marketing campaign for a pedometer in the wake of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

At the time, there was an increasing focus on fitness in the host country and companies had tried to capitalize on the craze surrounding the Games.

One campaign involved the marketing of Yamasa’s pedometer, the Manpo-kei, which literally means ‘10,000 step meters’ in Japanese.

But this arbitrary figure was never scientifically substantiated. Instead, the number was chosen because the benchmark was a nice round, memorable number.

Around 7.6 million Britons and 48 million Americans suffer from cardiovascular disease, which is the general term for a range of conditions that affect the heart or blood vessels.

It is usually related to a build-up of fatty deposits in the arteries (atherosclerosis) and an increased risk of blood clots.

The figures are expected to rise as a result of the aging and growing population and improved survival rates for cardiovascular diseases.

However, cardiovascular disease can be largely prevented by leading a good lifestyle, such as quitting smoking, eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly and drinking less alcohol, health chiefs say.