[imagesource:globalsportsmatters]

We were always told 10,000 steps is the golden amount of movement for a longer life.

Many fitness trackers encourage the wearer to aim for 10,000 steps a day, and various studies have shown that walking this much can have an array of health benefits, including a reduced risk of developing heart disease, cancer and dementia.

How many of you have looked down at your Fitbit at your office desk and seen a dismal number like 250 only to panic about how you’re going to fit in the other 9,750 steps for the day?

Lucky for you, there is reason to suggest that hitting 10,000 steps a day isn’t necessary and that even walking just 5,000 steps each day can reduce the risk of premature death. At least now you can have a lighter panic about reaching your walking goals for the day.

Looking at one million Vitality members from South Africa and the UK over a decade, a recent study by the London School of Economics and Discovery Health shows that the person’s life expectancy is expected to increase by two to three years, while their mortality risk decreases by 22% when walking 5,000 steps three times a week.

The results, which were taken from physical health screenings by Vitality members and information from the Discovery Health platform, per News24, showed that a habit of physical activity for three days a week is associated with a 10% reduction in hospital healthcare costs.

It said that a 13% reduction is also possible when sustaining an average of more than three days of physical activity in a week for two years – regardless of intensity. AKA, you don’t totally have to hack away in a CrossFit class to avoid the doctor’s office.

Discovery Vitality SA CEO Dinesh Govender said: “If half of the inactive adult population began consistently walking 5,000 steps once a week and those who have poor exercise habits began consistently walking 5,000 steps three times per week, we estimate that the Discovery Health Medical Scheme base can save roughly R6.3 billion per year. In the UK, this is £15 billion (R358 billion) in savings.”

Again for those at the back – that’s a R6 billion saving of the country’s hospital costs (while extending lives) if Saffas walk 15,000 steps a week.

The study concludes that walking 2,500 steps four times a week also yields positive health benefits and could decrease a person’s mortality risk by up to 15%. Meanwhile, walking 7,500 steps more than five times a week could reduce mortality risks by 27%. However, according to the index, this could jump 52% if the person is over 65.

“Firstly, every little increase in your activity makes a difference,” Govender told News24. “This shows us that a few more steps every day, even if you start in your 60s or 70s, will positively impact your health.”

“Second, there is habit formation. When our actuaries did the analysis, 7,500 steps was the maximum incremental improvement for your life expectancy, which is new because we always talk about 10,000 steps,” he said.

We can now encourage individuals to begin walking, he added, asserting that by taking 5,000 steps away from the couch three times per week, they could potentially extend their lifespan by three years.

Remember, though, consistency is crucial. Govender said that participants were more likely to stick to their health goals and form their exercising habits in week nine or 10 if they exercised consistently.

He also mentioned how people who set low-intensity goals were more likely to “stick to their habits”.

Indeed, 5,000 steps is a lot more doable glued to your your desk chair compared to 10,000.

[source:news24]