Reaching at least 10,000 steps per day has traditionally been considered the benchmark for physical exercise standards.
Living a long and healthy life and having a lower risk of heart disease.
Researchers at the Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston studied data from nearly 15,000 women in the 62 years and older demographic over a period of four years.
All participants wore fitness trackers to monitor their activity levels and completed health surveys annually.
The team discovered that individuals who took 8,000 to 8,500 steps daily lower their risk of heart disease by 40 percent compared to those who averaged approximately 3,000 daily steps.
In addition, they discovered that an equivalent risk reduction was also seen in those who exercised for 75 minutes per day – implying that tracking daily steps may not be necessary.
As some experts assert, there is no single "magic" number for exercise.
Dr. Rikuta Hamaya, lead study author and researcher at the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital, stated: 'For some, primarily younger individuals, exercise may encompass activities such as tennis, soccer, walking, or jogging, all of which can be readily monitored by counting steps.'
'Some people might find it helpful to focus on time-based activities, like bike rides or swimming, where tracking the duration is easier. That's the reason why physical activity guidelines should provide various options for achieving goals.'
'Everyone's mobility is unique and almost all forms of movement offer health benefits.'
The research team recruited 14,399 women aged 62 and above who were deemed to be in good health, implying that they did not have heart disease or cancer. The average age of the study participants was 72 years.
Between 2011 and 2015, each woman was asked to have a fitness tracker attached to them on their hip at all times, even while sleeping or showering.
Each year, the researchers conducted surveys about the participants' habits and lifestyle, including smoking and drinking habits, current height and weight, whether or not menopause had been experienced, and any personal and family medical history.
These were used to assess the participants' susceptibility to heart disease and mortality.
The team continued to keep in contact with the women throughout the remainder of 2022.
On average, participants engaged in 62 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week and took a total of 5,183 steps per day. By the year 2022, nine percent of participants had passed away and four percent had developed heart disease.
The women were categorized into percentiles based on the number of minutes they exercised or the number of steps they took.
The team discovered that those who either spent the longest time exercising (approximately 200 minutes) or took the most steps (around 8,000 to 8,500) lowered their risk of heart disease and death by as much as 40 percent compared to those in the lowest category (nine to 12 minutes of exercise or approximately 2,800 to 3,000 steps).
'The findings indicate that patients can choose between a step or timed goal to lower their risk of death or cardiovascular disease,' the researchers stated.
'These findings suggest supporting both time-based and step-based PA recommendations in the future, giving individuals the freedom to choose and monitor their preferred activity measurement.'
'Thus, clinicians may guide female patients aged 60 or older to use either time- or step-based goals, depending on their preferences, to monitor their physical activity levels.'
The study had several limitations, such as the fact that most of the participants were white females with a higher socioeconomic background. Moreover, the research was observational, meaning that the findings cannot be verified.
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