Sit Less, Step More: Series of New Studies Underscore The Health Benefits of Physical Activity
Sit Less, Step More: Series of New Studies Underscore The Health Benefits of Physical Activity
March 6, 2024
Undoubtedly you know that physical activity is crucial for healthy aging and that extended periods of sitting can put your health at risk. For many of us, measuring the extent of our daily physical activity comes through tracking our step count. Daily step counts can be an easy and accessible way to gauge whether you’ve been sufficiently active in a day, and the more steps you can muster, the better for your health. As we’ve previously written, there’s nothing magical (nor even scientific) about getting in 10,000 steps a day. Still, scientists in several new research studies have been able to quantify why a specific number of steps each day can lead to specific health benefits, especially for older women.
Using data from The Women’s Health Initiative, these studies correlate a specific number of steps to an important health outcome along with documenting the health hazards of extended sitting. First, in a study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, The Journal of The Alzheimer’s Association, researchers from the University of California (UC) San Diego found a correlation between the number of steps/moderate physical activity of women 65 and older and the risk of mild cognitive impairment or dementia. According to the research, for every additional 31 minutes of moderate/vigorous exercise (which could be a brisk walk), the risk for cognitive impairment is lowered by 21% and lowered by 33% with each additional 1865 daily steps taken. So strap on your pedometer and read more here.
In another study using the Women’s Health Initiative data and also undertaken at UC San Diego, researchers were able to elucidate the connection between sedentary behavior and increased mortality in older women. Published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, these same researchers examined sedentary behavior among older women, both their total waking time sitting for a day as well as their length of time sitting uninterrupted. The bottom line, according to the research, is that higher total sitting time and longer mean sitting bout duration are associated with higher mortality from all causes and a higher cardiovascular mortality risk. Specifically, older women who sit for 11.7 hours a day or more increase their risk of death by 30%, even if they otherwise exercise vigorously. Sitting reduces blood flow and causes other negative health effects that exercise just can’t undo. Once you begin sitting for more than 11 hours a day or sitting for longer than 30 minutes at a stretch, you are putting your body in a situation it was never meant to endure. So stand up, take some steps, and take a look here.
Finally, a third study also using data from the Women’s Health Initiative examined the connection between daily steps and the risk of heart failure. This study, coming out of The State University of New York, Buffalo, and published in JAMA Cardiology, examined the number of daily steps needed to reduce cardiovascular risks in older women. Looking at data from about 6000 participants for a 7 ½ year period, the researchers found that women over 60 who walked on average just 3600 steps per day, at a normal pace, were 26% less likely to develop heart failure. That’s about 1.5 miles a day, which is something most older women could accomplish if they put their minds to it. Similar to the other study referenced, this one found that sitting more was associated with higher heart failure risk. For each 1 ½ hours of sedentary time, there was a 17% higher risk of heart failure. So with a few more steps, and fewer moments of sitting, you can potentially do yourself a lot of good. To find out more about this study, click here and here.