Scientists from the University of Sydney found that any steps exceeding 2,200 per day reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Research results published In British Journal of Sports Medicine (BJSM).
Data from 72,174 people with an average age of 61 were used in the research. For seven days, they wore accelerometers on their wrists to record their physical activity levels (number of steps taken). After all the necessary information was collected, the observation phase of the participants began, which lasted approximately seven years.
During the observation period, 6190 cases of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 1633 deaths were recorded. Scientists have calculated that the optimal number of steps taken daily to neutralize the harm of a large amount of time spent sitting is between 9 and 10 thousand. This level of activity can reduce the risk of heart disease by 21% if no other exercise is performed.
But even fewer steps (exceeding 2200) helped maintain cardiovascular health. According to scientists, the minimum threshold associated with a significantly lower chance of developing cardiovascular disease and dying is between 4,000 and 4,500 steps per day.
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