Taking at least 10,000 steps a day has long been considered the gold standard for exercise.
However, one study suggests that focusing on the time you spend exercising rather than the number of steps may be just as effective for weight loss, longevity, and reducing the risk of heart disease.
Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston analyzed four years of data from nearly 15,000 women ages 62 and older.
Each participant wore a fitness tracker to measure activity levels and were given health questionnaires to complete each year.
The team found that those who took between 8,000 and 8,500 steps a day reduced their risk of heart disease by 40 percent, compared to those who took about 3,000 steps a day.
Women in the study, published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine, were asked to wear fitness trackers on their hips to measure exercise in minutes and steps.
What’s more, they found that the same risk reduction applied to those who exercised for 75 minutes a day, suggesting that measuring steps may be unnecessary.
The study is one of several recent reports debunking the 10,000-step rule, as some experts say there is no “magic” number for exercising.
Dr. Rikuta Hamaya, lead author of the study and researcher in the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, said: “For some people, especially younger people, exercise may involve activities such as tennis, soccer, walking or jogging, all of which can be easily followed with steps.’
“However, for others, it may involve cycling or swimming, where it is easier to control the duration of the exercise. “That’s why it’s important that physical activity guidelines offer multiple ways to reach your goals.”
“Movement is different for everyone and almost all forms of movement are beneficial for our health.”
The team recruited 14,399 women over the age of 62 who were considered “healthy,” meaning they did not have heart disease or cancer. The average age of the participants was 72 years.
Between 2011 and 2015, each woman was asked to wear a fitness tracker on her hip at all times, even while sleeping or showering.
Each year, researchers administered questionnaires about health habits such as smoking and drinking, height, weight, menopause, and personal and family medical history.
These were used to determine participants’ risk of heart disease and death.
The team followed up with the women until the end of 2022.
On average, participants performed 62 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week and took a total of 5,183 steps per day. By 2022, nine percent of participants died and four percent developed heart disease.
The women were divided into percentiles based on the number of minutes they exercised or the number of steps taken.
The team found that those who spent the most time (about 200 minutes) exercising or took the most steps (about 8,000 to 8,500) reduced their risk of heart disease and death by up to 40 percent compared to those in the lowest percentile (nine). to 12 minutes of exercise or about 2,800 to 3,000 steps).
“The findings suggest that patients can choose between a step or a timed goal to reduce their risk of death or cardiovascular disease,” the researchers wrote.
“These data support the need to include time- and step-based guidelines in future PA (physical activity) recommendations, allowing people the flexibility to choose and track their preferred activity metric.”
“Therefore, doctors can guide patients aged 60 and older to use time-based or step-based goals, depending on their preferences, to monitor their PA levels.”
The study had several limitations, including the majority of women being white and “of a higher socioeconomic status.” Furthermore, the research was observational, so the findings cannot be confirmed.
The study was published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine.