Research on the Benefits of Walking for Exercise

Over the last several years, reports on the “optimal” number of steps we should take each day seem to vary. Early on it was all about getting 10,000 steps but the Medical News Today’s website explains the idea of 10,000 steps was conceived in the 1960s as a marketing tool and was not based on any actual medical research.   

A study from the Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN, decided to take a “fresh look at how many steps a person should take each day — and what kind of steps are most beneficial — to promote good health.” The data was obtained with fitness trackers and the information led researchers to suggest a goal of 8,200 steps a day significantly lowers a person’s risk of chronic disease. 

Researchers report results show an association between walking 8,200 steps and a reduced risk of chronic conditions, including:

• obesity

• sleep apnea

• gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

• major depressive disorder (MDD)

• diabetes

• hypertension

In addition, they found even more steps a day could reduce the risk even more for some of these diseases. However, Dr. Evan L. Brittain, associate professor of medicine at Vanderbilt, explained, in the case of “diabetes and hypertension, we observed a plateau at around 8–9000 steps per day, above which there wasn’t any obvious benefit.” He also reminded people there is no reason to not get in more steps a day as they can be beneficial for other health conditions.   

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Source:medicalnewstoday.com/articles/walking-8200-steps-a-day-may-lower-your-risk-of-chronic-disease-study-finds