Walking 10,000 steps daily has become a benchmark for many trying to maintain their physical fitness; however, a new study found that an individual's pace may be tied to more meaningful health benefits and even potentially lower the risk of dying early.
The study, published Sept. 8 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, was conducted by researchers from Australia and Spain who examined activity data from more than 64,000 adults for deaths from any cause and more than 70,000 adults for deaths from cardiovascular disease. The participants were between 40 and 69 years old when they joined the UK Biobank, a large health research project, and wore activity trackers on their wrists for seven days.
The researchers looked at both the number of steps
participants took each day and how quickly they walked during their most active 30 minutes. Participants were divided into four groups based on their daily steps: fewer than 5,000, 5,000 to 7,500, 7,500 to 10,000 and more than 10,000.
“Among people who took fewer than 5,000 steps a day, those who walked at a faster pace had a lower risk of death. Those who reached about 80 steps per minute during their 30 most active minutes had a 28% lower risk of death than people who walked the slowest," according to the study's authors.
How many steps should you aim for?
The study's findings also challenge the idea that 10,000 steps daily should be treated as a one-size-fits-all goal. Study co-author Emmanuel Stamatakis told CNN that the target did not come from a specific scientific finding. Instead, it dates to a Japanese pedometer campaign in the 1960s.
For some people, reaching 10,000 steps a day can be difficult because of age, health problems, work schedules or other limitations. The researchers said their findings suggest that people who cannot reach that number may still benefit from being more active, whether by walking faster or simply adding more steps to their day.
In other words, there may not be one perfect step count or walking speed for everyone. The goal is to find ways to move more that fit your own abilities and routine, according to the study.
What counts as brisk walking?
The study's researchers used a measure called "peak 30-minute cadence," which means the average number of steps per minute during a person's 30 most active minutes of the day. Those 30 minutes did not have to happen all at once.
A pace of about 90 to 100 steps per minute was associated with a lower risk of death across the different daily step groups. For people who already walked 7,500 to 10,000 steps a day, about 100 steps per minute was associated with the lowest risk in the study.
For a practical way to judge whether you're walking briskly, Stamatakis told CNN that your breathing should become noticeably heavier and you should feel warmer; however, you should still be able to speak in short sentences.
What the study means for walkers
The findings do not prove that walking faster directly causes people to live longer. The study was observational, meaning researchers looked at existing activity patterns rather than assigning participants to specific walking routines.
It's possible that people who were already healthier were more likely to walk faster and take more steps. The researchers also noted limitations, including the relatively short activity tracking period and the possibility that wrist-worn devices could miscount some steps.
Still, the researchers said the findings support looking beyond a single daily step goal when considering physical activity.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com or on X @athompsonUSAT.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 10,000 steps a day may not be the key to a longer life, study finds
