You don’t need to walk 10,000 steps a day to prevent heart disease and cancer. Walking faster is what counts

Even moderate daily walking is a fantastic strategy to improve your health and prevent cognitive decline and other age-related diseases, according to new research.

According to a study published in JAMA Neurology on September 6, walking at a faster rate is more beneficial than walking at a slower pace. While 10,000 steps per day is considered the optimal amount to improve health, even 3,800 steps per day can be beneficial.

Researchers from the University of Sydney analyzed data from 78,430 primarily white UK individuals aged 40 to 70, comparing step counts, average speed, and health outcomes over a period of almost seven years.

They found that for every 2,000 steps participants did every day, their risk of premature mortality was reduced by 8 to 11 percent, up to 10,000 steps.

The risk of dementia was reduced by 25% with just 3,800 daily steps. People who walked around 9,800 steps per day had a 50% lower risk of developing dementia.

According to data, walking speed and intensity also affected health outcomes, with faster walkers demonstrating better benefits for cognitive health and the avoidance of diseases such as heart disease and cancer.

Previous research has shown a healthy, brisk walking speed of 2.7 miles per hour, or 100 steps per minute. The best speed for a 30-minute walk was approximately 112 steps per minute, somewhat quicker than this speed.

When participants walked with the objective of exercising, as opposed to merely going from room to room throughout the day, they experienced greater benefits with less steps. Researchers found that roughly 6,000 steps per day of deliberate walking was optimal.

According to the researchers, the data show that both walking distance and speed could be useful tools for improving health and reducing the risk of disease.

Dr. Matthew Ahmadi, co-lead author of the study and research fellow at the University of Sydney, said in a press statement, “The take-home message is that for optimal health benefits, people should not only aim for 10,000 steps per day but also walk faster.”

Previous research supports the notion that vigorous walking is beneficial, even if less than 10,000 steps are taken each day.

Earlier research has also suggested that a quick walking pace and a lower step count may be advantageous.

A 2022 study found that walking at a speed of more than three miles per hour was the most effective method for delaying the onset of biological aging, potentially leading to a 16-year longer, healthier life.

A 2019 study found that walking as few as 4,400 steps per day may lessen the risk of premature death.

Daniel Lieberman, a Harvard paleoanthropologist who has researched the origins of exercise, recently told Insider that the idea that walking 10,000 steps per day is ideal may be based as much on marketing as on science.

The figure was popularized by a Japanese corporation to aid in the sale of the first commercial pedometer; 10,000 was picked because it was memorable and catchy.

Aiming for 10,000 steps, which is almost five miles, may be too ambitious, but having a convenient goal that pushes you to stay active may be beneficial.

“We all have deeply ingrained impulses to avoid superfluous action, so we need these nudges to help people get started,” he explained.