What's the best step count and walking speed?
In this study, the researchers drew on data from participants in the At the same time, people who walked more slowly but for longer—5,000-7,500 steps a day—saw a similar drop in their risk.
This suggests that “someone who is below 5,000 steps per day, which is considered somewhat sedentary, might want to incorporate whatever they do in a more intense way,” del Poro Cruz says. “They can then maximize the benefits of what they do.”
The results are not surprising, says Dr. Shaan Kurshid, a cardiac electrophysiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital who was not involved in the study, but they clarify the relationship between steps and exercise intensity in a way that may be useful to physicians guiding people toward healthier habits. “The steps concept is important because it can resonate with people” he says, “and so I think that improving our understanding of that metric and how to best use it is important.”
How can you tell if you’re walking fast enough?
It’s not always obvious. “If you say you're supposed to get 2.5 hours a week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity”—which is what U.S.