A new study suggests that walking just 4,000 steps a day, rather than the more widely recommended 10,000 steps a day, could be enough to lower one's risk of death by up to 40%.
The research, published Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, analyzed data from more than 13,000 older women over the age of 62 by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
Researchers found that women who walked at least 4,000 steps once or twice a week—no matter their intensity, method, or speed—cut their risk of death by 26% and their risk of heart disease over the course of a decade by 27%.
Women who walked at least 4,000 steps for three or more days a week further lowered their risk of death to up to 40%, and their heart disease risk by 27%.
Meanwhile, women who walked over 7,000 steps a day decreased their risk of death by 32% and cut their heart disease risk by 16%.
The study presented a "snapshot" in time of the study participants' walking activity, capturing their steps for a week, followed by an 11-year follow-up period to monitor health conditions. Since it followed older women, researchers don't yet know whether the same results could fully apply to other demographics, such as men or younger adults.
