Latest news with #walking
CBC
2 hours ago
- CBC
She wants to be the first woman to trek the length of the Americas
Australian adventurer Lucy Barnard is on a mission to become the first woman to walk 'the length of the Earth'. More than 22,000 kilometres, 22 pairs of shoes and 12 countries later, she's getting ready to cross into Canada.
Medical News Today
4 hours ago
- Health
- Medical News Today
Are 7,000 steps a day enough to see health benefits?
A lot of people focus on getting 10,000 steps a day for its purported health benefits. A new study says that walking for only 7,000 steps a day can help reduce a person's risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, cancer, depression, and all-cause mortality. Scientists also discovered that walking around 4,000 steps a day still offers more health benefits than people with very low activity and about 2,000 steps a the last few years, there has been an emphasis placed on accumulating 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy. Many people use fitness trackers such as Fitbits, Garmin smartwatches, or Apple Watches, or smartphone apps like Google Fit or Apple Health to track their daily steps. Past research has linked walking at least 10,000 steps a day to a reduced risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, obesity, and mental health issues. Now, a new study recently published in the journal The Lancet Public Health says that walking for only 7,000 steps a day can help reduce a person's risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, cancer, depression, and all-cause mortality. Scientists also discovered that walking around 4,000 steps a day still offers more health benefits than people with very low activity and about 2,000 steps a focus on daily steps? For this study, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of studies conducted between 2014 to 2025 from 35 cohorts from PubMed and EBSCO CINAHL — including more than 16,000 adult participants — to look for correlations between step counts and eight specific outcomes: all-cause mortalitycancercardiovascular diseasecognitive outcomesfallsmental health outcomesphysical functiontype 2 diabetes'While we already know physical activity benefits health, public guidelines focus on total minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per week, usually 150 to 300 minutes,' Melody Ding, PhD, professor in the Sydney School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health at The University of Sydney in Australia, and corresponding author of this study, explained to Medical News Today. 'However, many people track their activity by steps, a simple and accessible metric, but the popular 10,000-steps-a-day goal isn't actually based on solid evidence. Our review sought to clarify how many steps per day are linked to meaningful health benefits,' she said. Walking 7,000 steps per day lowers 7 types of health risksUpon analysis, researchers found that study participants who walked about 7,000 steps each day were associated with a lowered risk for: all-cause mortality by 47%cancer by 6%cardiovascular disease by 25% dementia by 38%depression by 22%falls by 28%type 2 diabetes by 14%'This study is important because step-counting devices are becoming so widely available that the general public wants to know what they should aim for,' Ding said. 'We know physical activity is beneficial for health, but it is generally harder for the general public to track how many minutes of activities they do every day (because the activities can be of short bouts and be incidental), therefore, it is critical for us to provide such needed evidence. The finding is important for informing future health guidelines and physical activity promotion strategies, setting goals and targets for individuals, etc..' she 4,000 vs. 2,000 steps per dayAdditionally, Ding and her team found that study participants who only achieved a modest step count of about 4,000 steps per day still had better health outcomes than participants who had very low activity at about 2,000 steps a day. 'Increasing step counts from 2,000 to 4,000 or 5,000 is still associated [with] health benefits, even if one doesn't achieve 7,000,' Ding explained. 'It is important, particularly for motivating those who are extremely inactive.' 'Any increase in daily steps, even modest ones like 4,000 steps, delivers health benefits compared to very low activity levels. When possible, targeting around 7,000 steps per day can substantially reduce risks for many chronic diseases and adverse health outcomes.'— Melody Ding, PhD'Higher step counts beyond 7,000 may add extra benefits, but the improvement rate slows,' Ding added. 'Still, if you're already very active and consistently hitting 10,000+ steps, keep it up — there's no need to cut back.' A more achievable daily step goal MNT spoke with Nissi Suppogu, MD, a board certified cardiologist and medical director of the Women's Heart Center at MemorialCare Heart & Vascular Institute at Long Beach Medical Center in Long Beach, CA, about this commented that this study is looking at overall steps — not necessarily steps during exercise, but steps throughout the day — making it an even easier target to achieve. 'Understanding the role of physical activity in health outcomes plays an important role in motivating patients to do something entirely on their own,' she explained. 'We need to continue to empower the patients with knowledge and evidence about physical activity. Physical activity, or steps in this case, is something they can do at home, in their yard, on their street, in the office, by a park or path. They don't have to make time or pay to go to a gym. There are no excuses. All you need to do is just get up and move!' The new daily walking goal'Understanding that a modest 2,000 steps a day affects their health and every additional step to getting to 7,000 steps daily yields significant benefits for several health outcomes. That knowledge can affect their attitude, as 7,000 steps seems more achievable than 10,000 steps daily — a magic number for health benefits when really it has no significant clinical evidence to support this pervasive claim.' — Nissi Suppogu, MDActivity does not have to be overly strenuous to be beneficialMNT also spoke with Kanwar Kelley, MD, JD, a triple board certified in otolaryngology head and neck surgery (ENT), obesity medicine and lifestyle medicine, and co-founder and CEO of Side Health in Orinda, CA, about this research.'This study confirms what we have been recommending, that physical activity is important for overall longevity and health,' Kelley said. 'It also confirms that the activity does not have to be overly strenuous. We can observe benefits and decrease risk from participating in activities that do not require specialized equipment or a gym membership.' 'The more we can reinforce the message, the better,' he continued. 'Conducting this type of research enables everyone, from individuals to medical practitioners and lawmakers, to develop treatment plans and programs centered on these lifestyle interventions.''Researching a variety of activities will allow individuals to choose from different physical activities and remove barriers to participation. When research shows the significant benefits of physical activity on longevity, it raises overall awareness of just how important it is to our overall health span,' Kelley added. 'This study provides evidence that there is a dose-dependent relationship with physical activity (walking in this case). There were some differences in how much different populations would benefit from the prescribed 7,000 steps. Identifying specific step ranges can help create customized care plans tailored to a person's age, health, and physical fitness. However, there is a benefit from any increase in physical activity and it should continue to be recommended for all populations.' — Kanwar Kelley, MD, JD
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
These 5 Tips Will Help You Burn More Fat During Every Walk. Here's How To Walk Smarter, Not Longer.
Apart from being a low-impact exercise that you can do literally anytime, anywhere, walking can be just as great (if not better!) at spurring weight loss compared to high-intensity boot camps and other balls-to-the-wall workouts, says personal trainer Chris Freytag, CPT, founder of Get Healthy U TV, and board member of the American Council of Exercise. In fact, one Risk Analysis study found that women who go for regular brisk walks tend to have lower body mass indexes than those who opt for other forms of exercise. Plus, the other health benefits of walking are pretty major: the activity can help with brain health, longevity, and more. If weight loss is your goal, try amping up your walk with these expert-approved tips: 1. Walk fast enough to make talking hard 'Since so many people don't have time for two-hour walks every day, making the most of the time you have is key,' Freytag says. 'By adding some speed and intensity to your walks, you can up your calorie burn, improve your lung capacity, and absolutely take off some pounds.' To make sure your intensity is where it needs to be, focus on your breathing. If you're walking along at a fat-burning rate, you should only be able to get out a few words at a time without taking a breath, she says. Ready to make walking a regular part of your routine? Get the WH+ Exclusive 4-Week Walking Plan that burns fat and builds muscle at the same time. 2. Add some slower intervals Still, you don't need to race through your entire workout to help with weight loss. In fact, Ohio State University research shows that altering your walking speed burns up to 20 percent more calories than walking at a steady pace. Think of it sort of like driving on the highway without cruise control. By regularly letting on and off of the gas and break pedals, you burn through way more gas—a.k.a. calories, according to researchers. You don't have to follow a structured speed plan, though. (But if you prefer a plan, we got you.) Just try walking as fast as you can to that next tree, then slow down. Then, speed back up when you hit the fire hydrant. You get the idea. 3. Unless you walk in the morning, skip pre-workout snacks While exercising on empty is never a good weight-loss strategy, you don't need to pump calories or carbs before walking workouts the way you do before intense boot camps or 10-mile runs, says Tori Holthaus, RDN, founder of YES! Nutrition. That's because walking probably won't deplete your body's stored carbs as quickly as higher-intensity exercises. Simply eating balanced meals and snacks containing whole carbs, lean protein, and healthy fat throughout the day will provide you with all of the energy you need to power through the vast majority of your walks, she says. If, however, you like to go on walks first thing in the morning, eat something before you head out the door, since you probably haven't eaten in the last eight hours. You can also mix some protein powder into your water bottle to help keep your blood sugar levels stabilized, says San Diego bariatric surgeon Julie Ellner, MD. 4. Refuel after walking 60 minutes or more Though it's not a huge deal if you don't eat after a quick 30-minute walk, it's very important to refuel after hitting the road for an hour or more. 'In this case, your glycogen stores will be depleted, and you need to replenish those stores to feed your muscles,' Freytag says. Opt for a small, post-walk snack that contains a roughly three-to-one ratio of carbs to protein. Some solid choices include a banana with nut butter, piece of whole-grain avocado toast, or glass of chocolate milk. 5. Incorporate resistance training Walking is a great way to lose weight, but to make sure that you aren't losing muscle mass, you need to integrate strength training into your routine, Ellner says. Stop every 10 minutes during your walks to perform a few sets of pushups, lunges, squats, or other bodyweight exercises, says Freytag. Once you finish off your last rep, keep walking. Get the Workouts Get the Workouts Get the Challenge Get the Workouts Get the Challenge Get the Challenge Get the Workouts Get the Workouts Get the Workouts Get the Workouts Get the Workouts Get the Workouts Get the Workouts Get the Workouts Get the Challenge Get the Workouts You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals
CTV News
a day ago
- Health
- CTV News
Don't get overwhelmed by 10,000 steps. Here's how many you may really need
Walking is a good measure of activity level, but it is not the only way to get good movement. (Pablo Rogat's Photostream/via CNN Newsource) Does the popular activity benchmark of walking 10,000 steps a day feel like too distant of a goal? Don't worry, you can get health benefits just by moving a little more than you already are, new research has found. When possible, aiming for 7,000 steps a day is a good objective, said lead study author Dr. Melody Ding, professor of public health at the University of Sydney. Ding and a team of researchers reviewed 31 different studies on the impacts of step count on health markers, including cardiovascular disease, dementia, type 2 diabetes, cancer, depressive symptoms and early death, according to the study published Wednesday in the journal The Lancet Public Health. Compared with people who got 2,000 steps a day, which researchers considered the minimal possible step count for adults, people who took 7,000 daily steps had a 47% lower risk of death from all causes. The more active adults also had a 25% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 38% lower risk of dementia. Many people who use fitness trackers see 10,000 steps as a sign they are getting enough movement in a day, but that number is not based on good evidence, said Dr. Sean Heffron, assistant professor of medicine at New York University Langone Health and NYU Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease. He was not involved in the research. Aiming for 10,000 steps likely originated from a marketing campaign for an early pedometer manufactured in Japan by Yamasa Clock and Instrument Company that was called Manpo-kei, or '10,000 steps meter' in Japanese, according to a 2019 study. Cardiologist Dr. Martha Gulati said she is usually skeptical when the benchmark is such a nice round number. Gulati was also not involved in the research. However, it is clear from this study and the existing data that moving more is fundamental for good health and is usually a sound idea, Heffron said. 'More than 7k doesn't do harm, and may even offer some additional benefits,' Ding said in an email. 'If one is already very active and doing 10+k a day, they definitely don't need to hold back and go back to 7k!' Why steps matter The study is a meta-analysis, which analyzes evidence across many studies and is one of the highest-quality kinds of research for making clinical recommendations, Heffron said. Measuring step counts as the recent study did is important not because walking is the only activity that matters, but rather because it is a good way to get a fairly accurate estimate of overall exercise levels, said Gulati, director of preventive cardiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. If a patient tells her they did half an hour of exercise, Gulati has to not only trust that they estimated the time accurately but also guess at the intensity of that time spent exercising, she said. On the other hand, if a patient is wearing a tracking device that said they walked 5 miles, that impact is clear whether they walked it, ran it, did it in one go or broke it up, she added. Unfortunately, many people are quite sedentary, but the baseline for human bodies is to be active, Heffron said. It makes sense that moving less is linked to more health problems. 'The less you move, the less your muscles get engaged, the less exerkines, which are these special chemicals that are released with muscle contractions that benefit levels of inflammation, benefit blood vessel health, but also improve insulin sensitivity and improve blood pressure, and probably have some impact on cognitive function,' he said. 'As there's less of that movement, the rates of all the detrimental conditions increase.' Physical activity also improves muscular strength, which can help protect against falls and fractures, Gulati said. From a cardiovascular perspective, exercise is linked to lower blood pressure, improved cholesterol and a better response to insulin, she added. You don't need a gym to get moving Most Americans could stand to move more, Gulati said. For people who aren't moving much, aiming for 7,000 steps a day may seem like a lot, but just getting started makes a big difference. 'Accumulating daily steps offers a broad range of health benefits. Even low step counts, such as 4k, offers health benefits than lower step counts,' Ding said in an email. The biggest bang for your buck in terms of your health comes from going from no exercise to adding any movement –– and then gradually building up to more regular activity from there, Heffron added. Maybe walking isn't your favorite way to get moving. Do things you enjoy, such as dancing, gardening, playing pickleball or hiking with a friend, Heffron said. Getting to the gym and dedicating a block of time to activity may not always be feasible, so he recommends finding ways in your day to add in a little bit more movement. You can get up every hour at work for a five-minute walk, which incorporates 45 minutes of activity in your day, he said. If you take the bus or subway, getting off a stop or two early and walking the rest of the way can also help you meet your fitness goals. 'It will add a few minutes onto your commute, but every one of those minutes is going to be involved in physical activity,' Heffron said. 'That all adds up little by little over the course of a day and week.' Getting more steps, however, may not be the best guideline for everyone, particularly those who are limited in their capacity to walk, Ding added. For seated exercises, try hand cycling or chair exercises with or without weights, Bishnu Pada Das, a certified personal trainer based in Kolkata, India, said in a previous CNN story. By Madeline Holcombe, CNN
Irish Times
a day ago
- Health
- Irish Times
How many steps a day do you really need for improve your health? It's not 10,000
Walking more could reduce your risk of dementia , depression and dying from cancer , as well as being good for your heart , according to research. And you may not need to walk as far as previously thought to reap those benefits. The UK's NHS recommends a brisk 10-minute walk every day. Many people aim to walk 10,000 steps, but struggle to achieve it. Now researchers have calculated that even 7,000 steps could be enough to protect health. Scientists examined data from more than 160,000 adults and found that walking 7,000 steps a day was associated with a reduced risk of a number of serious health conditions and death. Whereas previous studies have mainly examined the links between step count and heart health or overall death rates, this systematic review and meta analysis, published in the Lancet Public Health, sought to comprehensively examine how taking more steps per day could reduce the risk of a range of other health conditions as well. READ MORE Compared with those who walked 2,000 steps a day, the researchers found that achieving the 7,000 daily step target was linked to a 37 per cent reduction in risk of dying from cancer, while the risk was 14 per cent lower for type 2 diabetes, 38 per cent for dementia, 22 per cent depression and 28 per cent for falls respectively. It was also associated with a 25 per cent lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 47 per cent reduction in overall risk of dying. Although step count does not measure the quality or intensity of exercise, the findings underscore the importance of being active. There is a 'return on investment' with every additional 1,000 steps taken and even 4,000 steps per day reduced the risk of disease, compared with very low activity levels, the researchers observed. Although the risk continues to decrease above 7,000 steps, the rate at which it reduces that risk starts to slow. Melody Ding, professor of public health at the University of Sydney and lead author of the research, said that those who already walked 10,000 steps should not go back to 7,000, but that 7,000 was a more practical target for those who were currently inactive. 'Those who are currently active and achieving the 10,000 steps a day, keep up the good work – there is no need to modify your step counts. However, for those of us who are far from achieving the 10,000 targets, getting to 7,000 steps/day offers almost comparable health benefits for the outcomes we examined,' Prof Ding said. [ I walk to work in Dublin every day... daydreaming can't be done on a bus Opens in new window ] Responding to the findings, Dr Daniel Bailey, reader in sedentary behaviour and health at Brunel University of London, said the research helped debunk the myth that 10,000 steps per day should be the target for optimal health. 'The real-world implications are that people can get health benefits just from small increases in physical activity, such as doing an extra 1,000 steps per day,' Dr Bailey said 'To achieve the best reductions in risk, aiming for 5,000-7,000 per day can be recommended, which will be more achievable for many people than the unofficial target of 10,000 steps that has been around for many years.' Dr Andrew Scott, senior lecturer in clinical exercise physiology at the University of Portsmouth, pointed out that not all activity was captured by step counts. 'The steps per day is useful when people's exercise is weight-bearing, however cycling, swimming and rowing are not well-represented by the steps-per-day model.' June Davison, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: 'We know that regular walking is one of the easiest ways to help maintain a healthy lifestyle and reduce your risk of heart disease. 'Adults should aim to build up to a total of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week, but getting active isn't always easy. Incorporating activity snacks, such as walking while taking phone calls, or taking a brisk 10-minute walk during your lunch break, can all count to reduce your chances of developing heart disease.' – Guardian
