No doubt you’re aware of all of the posts we publish on the health benefits of walking. There’s a reason that so many experts promote walking as an ideal strategy to sustain and improve your physical and cognitive health. It’s a cost-free, equipment-free method of physical activity that can be done virtually anywhere, and that’s scientifically supported with growing evidence demonstrating that steps and movement can help you age in a healthier, more resilient manner. So it’s no surprise that new evidence keeps surfacing to underscore this important method of physical activity, even for those of you who don’t consider yourselves athletic or physically strong. Depending on your health goals, certain times of day may be better for your walking routine. Find out more by reading here.

First, let’s consider a brand new study published in The Lancet Public Health that examined the number of steps each day and the association with “clinically meaningful improvements in health outcomes.” We’ve previously described the discredited notion that you must take 10,000 steps a day to achieve positive health benefits. This new Lancet study makes clear that in order to see positive health benefits for such conditions as diabetes, heart disease, or even dementia, walking just 7000 steps a day- an easier target goal for most people- will produce those positive results.  In fact, compared with leading a sedentary life and walking just 2000 steps a day, researchers found that those who walked about 7000 steps a day had a 38% lower risk of dementia, a 25% reduction in their risk for cardiovascular disease, and 28% lower risk of falling. Even fewer than 7000 steps still led to reductions in mortality, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other health conditions. As one expert stated, “A goal of 5,000-7,000 steps per day was deemed appropriate for achieving good health.” 7,000 steps a day averages to about 3 miles a day, an ambitious but achievable rate for most adults. This type of movement is now considered essential for healthy aging, with one cardiologist making clear, “It’s just as important to walk 7000 steps a day as it is to take your pills.” For more about the results and outcomes of this study, start the clock on your step count and click here.

We’ve also previously addressed the value of speeding up your walks to a brisker pace and the health benefits that can be derived from that. New research further supports the value of even just slight improvements in your walking pace in order to achieve further benefit. A new study published in PLOS One reports that ramping up the speed of your walks by adding 14 steps per minute can help fight off the effects of frailty in older adults. Researchers from Chicago found that those older adults who can put a little more “pep” in their step can keep themselves on a path of independence and functional ability, thus maintaining their ability to shop for themselves, climb stairs, and live independently. Given that frailty affects 15% of older adults, this emphasis on brisker walking could mean the difference between autonomy and dependence for millions of Americans. Furthermore, counting steps appears to be an easy way to determine the pace and intensity of your walk, rather than a subjective determination of your ability to carry on a conversation or count your breath. So how would you determine and track your walking pace, to calculate what an additional 14 steps per minute would mean? Experts recommend you first track your steps (either by a watch or with your phone) at your usual walking pace in order to get your baseline. Then you can gradually build up to a 14-step increase. If you find it useful, you can also download a “metronome app” onto your phone to keep a consistent beat for your steps. To find out more, start working on your walking rhythm and read here.