There is no need to force yourself to play tennis, ride a bike or dance. Although moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity is recommended by international guidelines, simply leaving the house and going for a walk can play a fundamental role in our well-being. It can, for example, strengthen the leg muscles and thus improve balance, a sense we often take for granted until we lose it. With advancing years, in fact, balance may worsen and entail a series of health risks, such as a greater likelihood of falls and fractures, and undermine a person’s independence.
Improving balance by walking
Due to the gradual changes associated with aging (such as loss of muscle mass, lack of flexibility, slower reflexes and worsening eyesight), between the ages of 50 and 60 people may begin to feel less steady. To improve the sense of balance, however, even a simple walk can be useful: an aerobic activity that, in addition to being safe for most people, helps develop lower-body strength. The important thing, as Harvard Medical School suggests, is to approach this activity appropriately, according to one’s needs, and to have a good training program: for example, if you are not used to exercising, it is better to start with the basics and, as you feel stronger and more comfortable, add more and more minutes. If you already exercise regularly, on the other hand, you can start with a walking program that best fits your routine and, if it seems too easy, add time, distance or hills. It would be best, in any case, to aim for at least 150 minutes of walking per week, without hesitating to add more. If balance is already impaired, however, it is advisable to use a cane or a walker and to consult a specialist, such as a physiotherapist or a physiatrist.
How many steps a day?
The “magic number” for staying healthy is the now-famous 10,000 steps a day. However, there is no scientific evidence showing that this amount is really the right one. The 10,000 daily steps were proposed by a Japanese company that, in the 1960s, came up with this number out of nowhere to convince people to buy its pedometers. This gave rise to the debate, which is still very heated today. Between consensus and skepticism, the scientific community has tried to verify over the years whether this amount was actually the perfect one for staying healthy. And to date the conclusion has been reached that there is no universal answer as to how many steps a day are “enough”: it depends on various individual variables, such as age, abilities, fitness level, available time and so on.
In search of the perfect number
Nevertheless, experts have focused attention on certain ranges that would help obtain health benefits and that turn out to be below the threshold of 10,000 steps a day. For example, a recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine by the University of Sydney, Australia, found that 9,000-10,000 steps a day are optimal for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease by 21% and the risk of mortality by 39%. “Any number of daily steps above the reference of 2,200 steps a day was associated with lower mortality and reduced cardiovascular risk,” explained Matthew Ahmadi, one of the authors of the research. Regardless of the time participants spent in sedentary activities, moreover, the researchers explain, 50% of the benefits appeared at around 4,500 daily steps.
Another recent study points in the same direction, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology and conducted by the University of Granada, according to which most people begin to experience the first benefits, in terms of prevention of premature death and cardiovascular disease, at around 7,000 steps a day, although the optimal number turned out to be 8,000. In addition to steps, the study’s authors stress, walking speed is also important: a brisk pace is more effective for obtaining further health benefits.
More steps, more benefits
According to other research, what matters is not so much the number of steps as walking itself: the more you walk, the greater the benefits. For example, according to a study presented at the 2023 session of the American Heart Association and carried out on people aged 70 or over, every additional 500 steps a day is associated with a 14% lower risk of heart disease, heart failure and stroke. Furthermore, compared with participants who took fewer than 2,000 steps a day, those who took about 4,500 had a 77% lower risk of having a cardiovascular event. “It is important to keep being physically active as we age. However, the daily step goal should be achievable. We were surprised to find that every additional 500 steps of walking had a strong benefit for heart health,” explained the article’s author Erin E. Dooley. “While we do not want to diminish the importance of high-intensity physical activity, we suggest that even small increases in the number of daily steps have significant cardiovascular benefits. If you are an adult over 70, start by trying to take 500 more steps a day.”
