There has been much talk about steps in the last decade…. but how many should we take for health?
Dr Joan Costa-Font is a professor in health economics, and team leader at the Ageing and Health Incentives Lab at the London School of Economics.
Photo: VOISIN
His team conducted research in conjunction with insurance company Vitality which suggests adopting habitual exercise can add up to three years to life expectancy.
Researchers mapped the behaviour of more than one million people in the UK and South Africa over a decade and found taking at least 5,000 steps three times per week for two years added between 2.5 years life expectancy for men, and 3 years for women.
“In Britain, about 50 percent of the population are inactive. So, if we were to get them to do about 5000 steps, and then manage to get the moderately active to do the same, that would increasingly save resources for the NHS, Costa--Font told Sunday Morning.
Taking 5000 steps three times a week will reduce mortality, he says, but for additional benefits more steps are required.
“If for instance we want to improve our mental health all the way to 10,000 would be actually optimal.”
Even if you only manage 5000 steps once a week, there's a benefit, he says.
“We are wired to do exercise, even if it's 1000 steps any kind of improvement in physical activity does have an impact, no matter what.”
And if you think it's too late to start walking, you're wrong, he says.
“Even at old age, individuals over 80, they still actually benefit from starting some kind of exercise routine, you can delay your risk of mortality at any age.”
Measuring steps is a simple and easily understood way to identify whether we are exercising or not, he says, with 5000 steps equivalent to just over 4kms.
