Going outside for at least an hour a day may halve your risk of complications after surgery.
New findings presented at the recent American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress 2023 in Boston have shown that people who already walk at least 7,500 steps per day (about 6 km, which takes about an hour at a brisk walking pace) are half as likely to postoperative complications such as blood clots, wound infections or organ failure as people who walk less.
And you don't have to have done this for a long time to benefit from it. Even walking this distance for a few days before surgery can help, according to research from the Medical College of Wisconsin in the US
About 30 percent of people experience some kind of complication after surgery, and in most cases this occurs after the patient is discharged.
To avoid these complications, patients are encouraged to get back on their feet as soon as possible after surgery. And in recent years, attention has also been paid to 'prehabilitation', preparing for surgery in advance to ensure optimal condition and well-being, because this also helps prevent complications.
About 30 percent of people experience some kind of complication after surgery (Stock Photo)
Obesity, high blood pressure and poor lung function all increase the risk of problems after surgery.
Researchers arrived at the specific figure of 7,500 steps per day after looking at data from fitness trackers worn by 475 people participating in a major program run by the US government research agency, the National Institutes of Health, which collects health data from more than 475 people. one million American citizens. The patients (whose average age was 57) who walked this amount were 51 percent less likely to have complications in the 90 days after surgery, regardless of the complexity of the surgery or how sick they were to begin with.
Although some patients were just beginning to walk longer distances, others had data showing that they had been regularly completing 6 km walks for months or years before their surgeries, ranging from minor to major procedures, including orthopedic surgery and neurosurgery .
According to the researchers, it did not matter whether the patients had walked this distance for only a few days or a few years. Anai Kothari, an assistant professor of surgical oncology who led the study, said walking an hour a day was a measure of the patient's overall health and fitness.
“We use a lot of information to decide and think about surgical risks,” he said. 'This is an additional reference point that practitioners can use.'
Obesity, high blood pressure and poor lung function all increase the risk of problems after surgery (Stock Photo)
Professor Dame Clare Gerada, former president of the Royal College of GPs, told Good Health that the evidence is so strong that prehabilitation can make a difference to patients' outcomes after surgery that many NHS hospitals are running programs designed to help people to help improve their diet and fitness. with videos and apps. “Exercise has a positive effect on every cell in the body,” she says. 'Exercising your body within acceptable levels will keep your heart strong, your lungs healthy, and maintain bone density.
'It improves your circulation, lowers blood pressure and stimulates the production of chemicals that improve your mood.'
Prehabilitation is even more important as we get older, says Ruthe Isden, head of health advocacy at the charity Age UK.
'It is good for everyone, but becomes more necessary as we age due to physiological changes in the body, such as the slowing of cell regeneration and changes in cellular activity, which lead to lower immune system function and poorer cardiovascular health, and loss of muscle mass,” she says. These can all delay recovery and lead to increasing vulnerability.
A US study of almost 17,000 older women (average age 72), published in JAMA Internal Medicine in 2019, found that women who walked 4,400 steps per day (3 km, or just under two miles) had a 41 percent lower risk of developing diabetes. death during the month. after four years compared to women who walked just 2,700 steps (2 km or 1.2 miles). The death rate continued to decline the more steps a woman took – up to 7,500 steps per day, when the risk decreased.
In addition, a review of twelve studies involving 110,000 people of all ages, published in October in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, has cast doubt on the widely used goal of 10,000 steps per day, suggesting that patients are getting the same health benefits. of fewer steps.
Researchers from Spain, the Netherlands and the US found that 8,700 steps per day (about 4 miles) can reduce the risk of premature death by up to 60 percent. Even just 2,700 steps a day can reduce the risk of premature death or a heart attack or stroke. A faster pace was associated with a lower risk of death, regardless of how many steps were walked.
While “any step is good,” says Professor Gerada, other forms of exercise will also be helpful.
“Some people may prefer non-weight-bearing exercises, such as swimming or cycling at the gym, which puts less stress on the knees,” she adds.