Walking an extra 500 steps a day in your 70s can significantly reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke, research shows.
Scientists found that those who walked the extra quarter mile each day reduced their risk of cardiovascular problems by 14 percent.
Experts say the results suggest that setting “achievable goals” on fitness trackers can help maintain good health into old age.
Most studies have focused on young to middle-aged adults with daily goals of 10,000 steps or more, which may not be achievable for older individuals, the researchers said.
Walking 500 extra steps a day in your 70s reduces risk of heart attack or stroke, study finds (stock photo)
Therefore, in their study of 15,792 adults with an average age of 78 years, they wanted to focus on the health effects of daily step counting in older people.
Scientists analyzed health data, including more than 450 people who used a pedometer-like device worn on the waist to measure their daily steps.
These were worn for three days or more, for ten hours or more, with an average step count of about 3,500 steps per day.
About 7.5 percent of the participants suffered from cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease, stroke or heart failure in the next 3.5 years.
Every extra 1,000 steps reduces risk of death in older people: study
Experts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studied the walking patterns and habits of 16,732 women over the age of 60 between 2011 and 2015.
Compared to those who took less than 2,000 steps per day, those who walked about 4,500 steps per day had a 77 percent lower risk of having a cardiovascular event, 12 and 3.5 percent, respectively.
Each additional 500 steps per day was progressively associated with a 14 percent lower risk of cardiovascular disease, according to findings presented at an American Heart Association conference.
Erin E. Dooley, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Alabama who led the study, said, “It’s important to keep moving as you age, but daily walking goals also need to be achievable.
“We were surprised to find that each additional quarter mile, or 500 steps, in walking has such a powerful heart health benefit.”
She added: “While we don’t want to minimize the importance of higher-intensity physical activity, encouraging a small increase in daily step count also has significant cardiovascular benefits.
“If you’re over 70, start by trying to walk an extra 500 steps a day.”
More research is needed to determine whether achieving a higher daily step count prevents or delays cardiovascular disease, and whether a lower step count may be indicative of an underlying disease.
Steps were only measured at a single point in time, and the researchers could not examine whether changes in steps over time affected the risk of CVD events, they added.
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
