Choosing a parking space far from the grocery store; taking the stairs instead of the elevator; and walking to pick up your lunch might seem like insignificant daily decisions, but each extra step adds up. Enough to make you live longer? Maybe.
A new study, published Wednesday online by JAMA Internal Medicine, tracked the number of steps per day of nearly 17,000 older women took over a four-year period. What they found is that those who took at least 4,400 steps a day—far fewer than the standard advice of 10,000—had a 41 percent lower mortality rate than the women who took just 2,700 steps. Then the more daily steps women took after hitting 4,400 the better—until 7,500 steps, where the benefits plateaued.
If you’re walking at a moderate pace, you can usually get in around 100 steps a minute, so it only takes 44 minutes to hit your goal of at least 4,400 steps a day.
Taking 10,000 steps might not feel achievable every day, but 4,400? Piece of cake. Think about it: If you’re walking at a moderate pace, you can usually get in around 100 steps a minute, so it only takes 44 minutes to hit your goal. If you make little changes throughout you day, you’re golden. So strap on your fitness tracker and get moving.
Here’s all the hacks you need to know to add more steps into your day. And if you’re running low, this leg workout feels like it condenses 10,000 steps into 10 minutes.
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