Movement Matters

Most of us carry smartphones that automatically track our steps. Activating this feature on your phone initially feels like a smart move, but over time, these reminders pushing you to achieve your step count goal can start to feel more like a bothersome interruption. Yet, behind that seemingly pesky reminder lies a crucial message: movement matters.

Research consistently shows that a sedentary lifestyle can significantly harm your health. Global physical activity levels have improved. However, meeting the World Health Organization’s target of increasing the world’s physical activity by 10% by 2025 still requires substantial effort. Walking more each day is an accessible way to increase your activity level.

Maiej Banach and colleagues analyzed 17 cohort studies to identify the ideal number of steps to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and enhance overall health. Their findings unveil a clear relationship between daily step count and mortality risk from all causes.

The graph above illustrates how the risk of death falls with increasing daily step counts for adults. The solid line represents the best estimate of the relationship between movement and death. It shows a significant decrease in mortality risk for adding up to 5,500 steps per day. Beyond this threshold, the mortality improvement levels off.

Banach and team highlight that adding just 500 steps a day could reduce the risk of dying from cardiovascular disease by 7%, while an additional 1,000 steps was associated with a 15% lower risk of overall mortality compared to total inactivity. These benefits were consistent across genders and climates. However, age played a significant role: older adults experienced smaller reductions in risk compared to younger participants, particularly at lower step counts.

Movement matters, having effects on cardiovascular health. Your steps per day can also enhance your well-being. If you own a smart phone or watch, take a look at how far you’re moving today and keep up the good walk.