Just 6,000 steps a day could slash your chance of an early death

Researchers looked at 17 studies involving more than 226,000 people from six countries, including the UK. They found that the more steps people took, the lower their risk of dying prematurely.

The study found that for younger people, as few as 4,000 steps a day are needed to reduce deaths, but for the over-60s the sharpest improvement was seen in those taking between 6,000 and 10,000 steps.

Leading the study was Professor Maciej Banach, professor of cardiology at the Medical University of Lodz, in Poland. He told The Guardian: “Our study confirms that the more you walk, the better.

“In a world where we have more and more advanced drugs to target specific conditions such as cardiovascular disease, I believe we should always emphasise that lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise, might be at least as – or even more – effective in reducing cardiovascular risk and prolonging lives.”

The team also looked at the results of walking up to 20,000 steps a day (about 9-10 miles for most people) and found the health benefits kept on increasing, although cautioned that more studies are needed on this.

The benefits of walking 10,000 steps have long been touted, with this figure held as the magic number of steps we should all be striving for. But did you know it was actually dreamed up for a marketing campaign for a new pedometer, at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964?

Current research and previous studies have shown that any amount over 6,000 steps a day makes a big difference to your body and your brain health.

The new study says the biggest health improvements for people over 60 are when we take more than 6,000 steps a day. For an average person, 6,000 steps is about 4km (2½ miles) – it’s not as far as 10,000 steps, but it still sounds like a lot to many of us.

First of all, you’ll need something to count your steps. Most smartphones have step-counting functionality, or you might want to invest in a fitness tracker. Read our guide to the best budget fitness trackers to find the right one for you.

Why not use upping your daily step count as an opportunity to get out walking? It’s one of the best all-round forms of exercise that will benefit your body, memory and your mental health.

But what if you don’t think you’ve got the time to fit thousands of steps into your daily routine?

Saga Exceptional fitness technology writer Steven Shaw has been testing fitness trackers for us and has been learning how to notch up his steps without noticing.

He says: “I quite often do a three-mile (5km) route when I’m testing fitness trackers, which is about 6000 – 7000 steps for me.

“But I won’t always do the steps in one go. I’ve worked out that a walk to my nearest shop is about 800 – 1,000 steps, a walk from the lounge to the kitchen to get a drink is about 20 steps.

“Even mowing the lawn, doing the weekly supermarket shop or popping to your local store can add hundreds or even thousands of steps to your daily total. Every home is different, but once you get up and moving it’s surprising how quickly those steps can add up.”

Shaw recommends the Fitbit Charge 5 as the best overall fitness tracker, that is easy to use for a beginner. For those on a budget, the Honor Band 7 is less than £50.

Walking is a great form of exercise but is it enough to keep in good health?

Saga Exceptional’s fitness writer and personal trainer Becky Fuller says we need to do more than just count our steps every day.

“Walking is a great form of cardio exercise and offers many health benefits,” she says.

“But it’s important to include some kind of strength or resistance training in your exercise regime. The NHS recommends a minimum of two sessions per week.

“Strength training helps protect against sarcopenia – loss of muscles mass and strength – and also keeps the bones and joints strong, preventing osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. In turn, this makes daily activities such as walking much easier as we maintain our strength and flexibility.”