Step Your Way to Lower Mortality

We’ve all heard the advice to walk at least 10,000 steps each day. It’s been promoted for several years for its health benefits, but there’s been little data to support the suggestion that it reduces the risk of disease. A 2022 meta-analysis of studies published in the Lancet sheds some light on daily steps and all-cause mortality.

The meta-analysis included research on the impact of daily step count on all-cause mortality in adults (over 18 years). Systematic reviews that were previously published and experts in the field were also asked to weigh in.

The main outcome was reviewing all-cause mortality using collected death certificates and country registries. A dose-response relationship of steps per day and stepping rate was evaluated with all-cause mortality.

Studying Steps

Published as well as unpublished studies between 1999 and 2018 were found. The research sample included nearly 47,500 adults, with 3013 deaths over an average of 7.1 years. The number of daily steps taken were divided into four quartiles as follows: quartile 1: 3553 steps, quartile 2: 5801 steps, quartile 3: 7842 steps, and quartile 4: 10 901 steps.

The adjusted HR (hazards ratio) for all-cause mortality was the lowest in quartile 4 compared with quartile 1.  In adults aged 60 and older, a progressive decreased risk of death was seen in adults with an increasing number of steps daily until 6000-8000 steps were reached and 8000-10,000 daily steps in those under the age of 60 years.

When comparing quartile 1 with quartile 4 with an adjusted number of daily steps, the link between increased stepping rates and risk of death was reduced but still relevant for a peak of 30 minutes and a peak of 60 minutes. The minutes per day spent walking at 40 steps per minute or quicker and 100 minutes per day or faster were not significant.

The Bottom Line

Keep stepping! Taking more steps each day was associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality, up to a certain number based on age. Adults over 60 can still reap the health benefits with a lower number of daily steps (6000-8000 per day).

Here are ways to work in more steps:

·         Wear a step tracker, FitBit or other device to monitor steps.

·         Join a walking group or find a friend to walk with.

·         Break up walking into 3, 10-minute bouts or 2, 15-minute bouts per day.

·         Walk inside in bad weather such as a mall or hardware store.

·         Park farther away when shopping.

·         Take walking “snack breaks” throughout the day. Aim for at least 2 to 3 minutes for every hour you’re sitting.

·         Consider a walking DVD, online video, or phone app if you can’t leave your house to walk.

Lisa Andrews, MEd, RD, LD

Reference

Paluch AE, Bajpai S, Bassett DR, Carnethon MR, Ekelund U, Evenson KR, Galuska DA, Jefferis BJ, Kraus WE, Lee IM, Matthews CE, Omura JD, Patel AV, Pieper CF, Rees-Punia E, Dallmeier D, Klenk J, Whincup PH, Dooley EE, Pettee Gabriel K, Palta P, Pompeii LA, Chernofsky A, Larson MG, Vasan RS, Spartano N, Ballin M, Nordström P, Nordström A, Anderssen SA, Hansen BH, Cochrane JA, Dwyer T, Wang J, Ferrucci L, Liu F, Schrack J, Urbanek J, Saint-Maurice PF, Yamamoto N, Yoshitake Y, Newton RL Jr, Yang S, Shiroma EJ, Fulton JE; Steps for Health Collaborative. Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. Lancet Public Health. 2022 Mar;7(3):e219-e228. doi: 10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00302-9. PMID: 35247352; PMCID: PMC9289978.