Not 10 thousand anymore? Scientists have found out how many steps should be taken every day
[ad_1]
For a long time, it was believed that a person should walk at least 10,000 steps a day in order to stay in shape. However, scientists now believe that even 5,000 steps or less can be beneficial. This is reported by the BBC with reference to a study in which the data of 226,000 people from all over the world were analyzed. The analysis showed that 4,000 steps are enough to start reducing the risk of premature death from various causes. A little over 2300 is good enough for the heart and blood vessels. Photo:nd3000/Depositphotos A team of doctors from the Medical University of Łódź in Poland and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the USA discovered the benefits of walking for people of any gender and age, regardless of where they live. According to the study, the risk of death decreases significantly with every 500-1000 additional steps. A thousand extra steps a day could potentially reduce the risk of death from any cause by 15%. And 500 additional steps per day can reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases by 7%. If a person takes 20,000 steps per day, the health benefits increase. Scientists have not determined the “limit” of steps. However, the greatest benefits were seen for people younger than 60. Professor Maciej Banach from the University of Łódź said that although the number of modern medicines is increasing, one cannot rely on them alone. “I believe we should always emphasize that lifestyle changes, particularly diet and exercise, which were the ‘protagonists’ of our analysis, may be at least as effective or even more effective in reducing cardiovascular disease risk and prolonging life,” he says. Studies have shown that more than a quarter of the world’s population suffers from insufficient physical activity. 32% of women and 23% of men devote insufficient time to physical activity. According to the World Health Organization, insufficient physical activity is responsible for 3.2 million deaths each year, the fourth leading cause worldwide. The COVID-19 pandemic also led to a decline in physical activity, and activity levels did not recover two years after it. Honey Fine, a personal trainer and instructor at the global fitness company Barry’s, emphasizes that health problems can arise if a person sits for too long. “Sitting for too long can also cause all kinds of back problems, we often meet people who work in the office, their backs are constantly in a tense compressed position, which causes many more problems later in life,” says the trainer. According to her, even such actions as standing, carrying shopping, washing the floor, pacing while talking on the phone make a person more active and help burn calories. We will remind you that earlier we talked about why physical activity is important during the war. Read also: Physical activity can help in the treatment of depression. Research
[ad_2]
Original Source Link
