Walking 4,000 steps a day linked to longer life
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Many of us check how many steps we walk every day. Research says 10,000 help us to live longer. A new study says 4,000 steps is enough. Researchers said 4,000 steps lowered the risk of getting heart disease. Taking 4,000 steps is the same as a 30-minute walk, or walking about four kilometres.
Researchers looked at data from 225,000 adults over seven years. The adults had an average age of 64. The lead researcher said 4,000 was not a "magic number". He said the more steps you take, the better. Walking an extra 1,000 steps per day could cut the risk of an early death by 15 per cent.
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Walking - Level 1
Many people check how many steps they walk every day. Research says 10,000 is enough for us to live longer. However, a new study says 4,000 steps could be enough. Researchers looked at 17 studies about how far people walked. They concluded that 4,000 steps per day lowered the risk of getting heart disease and other life-threatening conditions. Taking 4,000 steps is the same as a 30-minute walk, or about three to four kilometres.
Researchers looked at exercise data from 225,000 adults worldwide over seven years. The adults had an average age of 64. The lead researcher said 4,000 was not a "magic number". He added that the more steps you take, the better. Walking an additional 1,000 steps per day could cut the risk of an early death by 15 per cent. The researcher said people should add at least one walk to their daily routine.
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Walking - Level 2
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Many people monitor how many steps they walk every day. Research suggests that 10,000 steps a day is enough for us to stay healthy and live longer. A new study says just 4,000 steps a day could be enough for us to live to an old age. Researchers analyzed 17 studies that looked at how far people walked during the week. They concluded that 4,000 steps per day lowered the risk of dying from diabetes, heart diseases and other life-threatening conditions. The study said 4,000 steps is the same as a 30- to 45-minute walk, or about three to four kilometres.
The study is published in a cardiology journal. Researchers looked at exercise data from 225,000 adults worldwide over seven years. The adults had an average age of 64 and had different levels of health. The lead researcher said 4,000 steps was enough, but it wasn't a "magic number". He added that the more steps you take, the better. He also said walking an additional 1,000 steps per day could lead to a roughly 15 per cent lower risk of premature death. The researcher said people should add at least one walk to their daily routine.
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Walking - Level 3
Many people around the world monitor how many steps they walk every day. This is due to studies that suggest 10,000 steps a day is enough to help us stay healthy and live longer. A new study says just 4,000 steps a day could be the magic number for us to live well into old age. Researchers from the Johns Hopkins University of Medicine analyzed 17 studies that looked at how far people walked during the week. The scientists concluded that 4,000 steps per day reduced the risk of dying from diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and other life-threatening conditions. Study author Dr Seth Shay Martin said 4,000 steps is roughly a 30- to 45-minute walk, or about three to four kilometres.
The study is published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. The research looked at health and exercise data from more than 225,000 adults worldwide over seven years. They had an average age of 64. Some people were in good health, while others suffered from heart problems. Dr Martin said his conclusion that 4,000 steps were beneficial was a minimum amount. He said: "I wouldn't want people to look at that as a magical number, that you must walk that exact step count. More is better." He added that walking an additional 1,000 steps per day is associated with a roughly 15 per cent lower risk of premature death. He said people should add at least one walk to their daily routine.
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