Walking 8000 Steps a Day Promotes Longevity: New Study on Benefits

22 Apr Walking 8000 Steps a Day Promotes Longevity: New Study on Benefits

A Meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts finds walking more steps a day beneficial for longevity.

In fact, walking is popularly the best exercise for gaining maximum health benefits.

Unlike intense workout sessions, walking is more accessible for all age groups, including the 60s as well as the younger generation.

It brings out a synchronization between various organs and the mind, building a stronger core for your health.

Additionally, this new study on the benefits of walking recommends a certain number of steps for longevity.

Earlier evidence also suggested the benefits of walking on health including benefits for cardiovascular health.

But the following study on the benefits of walking every day takes the view on the effects of walking on health to the next level.

Daily Steps Reduce Risk of All Case Mortality: The Study

Here’s a detailed take on the study on walking and life expectancy to give you an analysis of how walking affects longevity.

Basis of the Study

There are many studies promoting the health benefits of walking but very few comment on how does walking add years to your life.

Thus, a meta-analysis was done of 15 studies to explore the connection between daily steps and longevity.

The goal here was to address a larger number of studies than previous meta-analyses conducted by other groups and form guidelines based on:

• Age groups
• Sex

Thus, the primary aim was still to assess the relationship between steps per day and all-cause mortality and whether it varied for different age groups and genders.

Another motive of the study was to analyze the association between walking pace and longevity.

Methods Used in the Research

The first step was to search for the studies for meta-analysis, and this was done through two processes:

• First, those studies were picked which had a systemic analysis of step count and its effect on all-cause mortality.
• Second, additional studies that used models of measuring steps and all-cause mortality but were not published were added to the analysis.

Data Processing:

For the analysis, all the investigators participating in the analysis were asked to present the participants’ data according to a standardized protocol.

The protocol used was that of The Steps For Health Collaborative.

The baseline for the analysis was kept for one week where all studies had participants wear step-counting devices for one week.

The investigators, thus, calculated:

• Peak 30 minutes walking rate
• Peak 60 minutes walking rate
• The highest number of steps for both 30 minutes and 60 minutes period
• Stepping rate – 40 steps per minute or 100 steps per minute

The effect on all-cause mortality was measured through death certificates.

Models for the Study:

The basic model that was suggested to the investigators was to categorize the volume of steps as quartiles and then analyze its association with all-cause mortality to produce hazard ratios.

This model was further used to form groups based on age and sex where the age group was classified as:

•  Younger than 60 years
• Seniors who are older or same as 60 years

The final models that came to use were:

• Model 1 – for age and sex
• Model 2 – for lifestyle, health conditions that can affect walking and mortality, age, education, financial status, body mass index, and history of chronic diseases.

Data Analysis

A summarized report was created on total participants, deaths, and follow-ups.

This report was then checked with the median steps per day with the help of quartiles used in the above models.

Next, risk factors were considered, and finally, model 2 was used for the meta-analysis.

Some measures were used to draw out results. Some of them were:

• Sensitivity tests
• Calculation of the average number of follow-ups and then grouping them based on 2 years of follow-ups and 6 years of follow-ups.

The studies were compared based on publication status too.

This meta-analysis unlike many other meta-analyses published before even used the leave one out approach:

• The result was not due to any specific monitoring device
• Results were not because of a large study

After all these analyses, an outcome was drawn.

Results

In total 15 studies went in for the analysis, where one was from Japan, one from Australia, eight from the USA, four from Europe, and one study summarized data from 40 countries.

All these studies were from the period between 1999 to 2018.

Total samples collected were from 47, 471 participants, out of which 68% were females, and the median calculated for the steps was:

• Overall – 6495
• The young adults had a higher step median than the older generation (above 60 years of age).

According to the results:

• Higher quartiles of steps showed a lower risk of mortality.
• There was a reduced risk of mortality among people above 60 years of age when they walked 6,000 to 8,000 steps daily.
• This number varied in the younger people who were below 60 years and walked 8000 to 10,000 steps.
• The rates were similar for both the sexes.
• The peak for thirty minutes walk was 64 steps per minute and for sixty minutes was 57 steps per minute.
• Analysis of walking speed and life expectancy showed that the higher the stepping rates, the lesser the risk of mortality.

Interpretation of the Results

The study offered evidence that proves the benefits of walking daily in decreasing the all-cause mortality rate and improving life span.

However, the question that remains is why and how walking adds years to your life. And that can be answered by studying the benefits of walking on health closely.

How Does Walking Add Years to Your Life?

Walking has got many benefits for your health that can extend your lifespan.

But out of all those benefits, the ones that have a contribution to increased life expectancy are disease prevention and low disease risk.

Here’s how walking daily benefits your health:

#1. Prevents Cardiovascular Diseases

Not only cardio but even walking some steps can get your heart rate up. And, as per experts, all those exercises that pump up the heart are good for the health.

Walking helps in protecting your heart from heart attack and cardiac death by strengthening your heart muscles.

It can also prevent high blood pressure by increasing the good cholesterol and reducing the bad cholesterol.

Now, since walking is already helping to prevent blood pressure, it could be a good way to say bye to the risk of stroke.

#2. Good for the Bones

Walking is a form of weight-bearing activity that helps in strengthening your bones.

The best part of walking is the jolts that your body goes through every time you take a step.

These jolts help the naturally aging joints to get active again and refill them with strength.

#3. Reduces Risk of Diabetes

Walking is a form of exercise that can help your body use insulin in the right way and thus helps you maintain balanced blood sugar.

It helps in preventing both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Since diabetes is one of the leading causes of death among people older than 60, walking and longevity can be linked on this basis.

#4. Supports Mental Health

Many mental health experts suggest daily brisk walking to reduce the severity of symptoms of depression.

It also rejuvenates you, making you feel fresh and pleasant.

Since being active helps release happy hormones, it can also boost your energy levels and relieve stress.

Moreover, walking is also effective in enhancing your focus and concentration skills.

#5. Reduces the Risk of Dementia

Studies show a strong link between walking and dementia. According to these studies, walking increases blood circulation to the brain.

But we still need more studies to confirm the theory of increased blood flow to the brain.

Though, we do have studies that call walking an effective way to reduce the risk of developing any cognitive abnormalities in later stages of life.

#6. Helps with Obesity

People suffering from obesity are often not able to take up high-intensity workouts. Hence, for them, walking is the best exercise to initiate work out with.

Just one hour of walking per day can help you burn 460 calories, which can help you lose weight when followed in the long run.

Other benefits of walking for obesity are:

• Every step that you take shrinks the belly fat
• Walking increases insulin sensitivity

Together, these actions help you lose weight and also help you slim down a little.

#7. Fights the Damage Caused by Prolonged Sitting

Sitting for a long time can have negative effects on your health causing:

• Increased risk of heart disease
• Slower blood circulation
• Chances of developing diabetes
• Increased risk of any chronic disease

But just a short period of brisk walking daily can reverse the effects and also prevent further progression.

A study from the Journal of Experimental Physiology found that sitting for 6 long hours at the desk can cause lower blood flow to the extremities.

But just 10 minutes of walking can reverse the effect.

#8. Helps in Repairing the DNA

Walking, as you know, slows down the aging process and adds years to your life.

But the reason behind this can be understood by analyzing the study from Germany’s Saarland University.

According to this study, regular walking can increase the functioning of telomerase, which is an enzyme that takes part in repairing DNA.

Experts say this could be a possible reason behind the positive relationship between walking and longevity.

They also say that just 25 minutes of walking is enough to add activeness to the enzyme.

#9. Strengthens Immunity

Regular walking can keep you free from highly infectious diseases as it helps your immune cells to work effectively.

Since walking also improves blood flow and reduces inflammation, it is a good way to give your immune system a strong reboot. 

Final Word

This study on benefits of walking finds a certain link between walking and longevity.

According to the study, regular walking a good number of steps can add years to your life.

While the study did find quite an interesting number of steps for two different age groups, there wasn’t much difference among the genders.

The results showed that for people older than 60 years of age, walking 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day could increase their life expectancy.

On the other hand, for age groups below 60, the daily steps were higher and between 8,000 to 10,000.

This study was a meta-analysis of other smaller studies and hence successfully proved the beneficial relationship between walking and longevity.

Clearly, this aspect makes it a complete analysis on its own and makes walking an indispensable part of your day.

So, do you walk each day, and what else do you do to add more fun to the activity? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below. 

SOURCE JOURNAL:

Daily walking steps and all-cause mortality meta-analysis