Study: Steps reduce the risk of early death, but walking speed also matters

Both the number of steps and walking speed are associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, according to a new study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. This means that different combinations of daily step counts and walking pace may be associated with a lower risk of premature death.

“Our findings allow us to propose flexible strategies for reducing mortality risk based on step count for middle-aged and older adults, particularly for those who find it difficult to increase either their daily number of steps or walking intensity,” the researchers said, noting that most previous studies had not examined how different combinations of daily step count and walking intensity are associated with the risk of death.

The researchers analyzed fitness-tracker data from middle-aged participants in the UK Biobank who wore a device for seven days between 2013 and 2015, Euronews reports.

After analyzing wearable-device data from 64,743 participants aged 40 to 69 who took fewer than 5,000 to more than 10,000 steps per day at different walking speeds, the researchers found that the greatest reduction in the risk of premature death was observed among those who took 7,500 to 10,000 steps per day, regardless of walking speed.

In addition, maintaining a faster walking pace for at least 30 minutes each day — approximately 90 steps per minute — was also associated with a lower risk of death from any cause, regardless of the total number of steps taken.

“Regardless of the total number of steps per day, maintaining a higher step cadence may be a promising target for preventing premature mortality,” the study states.

For people who lead sedentary lifestyles and take fewer than 5,000 steps per day, “increasing walking pace may substantially reduce the risk of death from all causes and cardiovascular disease,” the researchers noted. At the same time, people who prefer to walk more slowly may benefit from increasing their overall number of steps.

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