Walking extends life, even better if you walk fast

An unprecedented maxi study confirms that walking defends against dementia, cardiovascular disease, cancer and death from these diseases;

it also reveals that, if you walk fast, the recommended 10,000 steps a day are not necessary to stay healthy, much less is enough.

The work was awarded a double publication in the journals JAMA Internal Medicine and JAMA Neurology.

The study was carried out by Matthew Ahmadi, a researcher at the Charles Perkins Center of the University of Sydney.

"For less active individuals, our study shows that as little as 3,800 steps a day can reduce the risk of dementia by 25%," the authors state. The study specifically found that every 2,000 daily steps reduces the risk of premature death of 8-11%, up to approximately 10,000 steps per day.

Similar associations were observed for cardiovascular disease and cancer.

More steps per day was associated with a lower risk of each type of dementia, while 9,800 steps per day was the optimal dose linked to a 50% lower risk of dementia, but the risk was reduced by 25% with a minimum of 3,800 steps per day.

It is not just the total daily steps that matter, they conclude, the intensity of the step or a faster pace have also been shown to reduce the risk of dementia, heart disease, cancer and death associated with these conditions.

800 steps per day was the optimal dose linked to a 50% lower risk of dementia, but the risk was reduced by 25% with a minimum of 3,800 steps per day.

It is not just the total daily steps that matter, they conclude, the intensity of the step or a faster pace have also been shown to reduce the risk of dementia, heart disease, cancer and death associated with these conditions.

800 steps per day was the optimal dose linked to a 50% lower risk of dementia, but the risk was reduced by 25% with a minimum of 3,800 steps per day.

It is not just the total daily steps that matter, they conclude, the intensity of the step or a faster pace have also been shown to reduce the risk of dementia, heart disease, cancer and death associated with these conditions.