Walking a mile a day ‘can help the elderly live longer’

‘10,000 steps seems unachievable’

TAKING as few as 2,100 steps a day in old age can help you live longer, research suggests.

A study of 6,000 women with an average age of 79 found that taking between 2,100 and 4,500 steps reduced the risk of dying of cardiovascular disease by 38 per cent.

This was compared with those who did fewer than 2,100. Researchers said elderly women who walked more than 4,500 steps reduced their risk by 48 per cent.

Just over 2,000 steps is the equivalent of a short stroll – around a mile.

Cardiovascular disease covers strokes and problems to do with the heart. Experts have previously advised people from all age ranges to walk at least 10,000 steps a day.

Fitbit and other fitness trackers you wear like a watch on your wrist set a default goal of 10,000 steps – five miles. But health chiefs are increasingly concerned this seems out of reach for many people, especially the elderly.

Some just give up and do no exercise at all because such a high target seems unachievable. But now researchers from the University of California San Diego have found the 2,100 figure can make a marked difference.

Research leader Professor Andrea LaCroix said: ‘Despite popular beliefs, there is little evidence that people need to aim for 10,000 steps daily to get cardiovascular benefits from walking.

‘Taking more steps [than normal] per day – even just a few more – is achievable. And step counts are an easy-to-understand way to measure how much we are moving. Being up and about, instead of sitting, is good for your heart.’

It is believed the 10,000 steps figure originated in Japan in the run-up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Pedometers became popular in the country.

Since then 10,000 steps has become a common goal set by health groups across the world.

Meanwhile, a separate study has found that pottering around the garden or taking dance lessons stops brain shrinkage in old age. Researchers said any form of regular exercise slowed down brain ageing by up to four years.

This could include walking, swimming, cycling, dancing or gardening. The study, which scanned the brains of 557 people with an average age of 75, found that inactive people consistently had smaller brains.

Study leader Dr Yian Gu, of Columbia University in New York, said: ‘ These results are exciting, as they suggest that people may potentially prevent brain shrinking and the effects of ageing on the brain simply by becoming more active.

‘Recent studies have shown that as people age physical activity may reduce the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

‘Our study used brain scans to measure the brain volumes of a diverse group of people and found that those who engaged in the top third level of physical activity had a brain volume the equivalent of four years younger in brain ageing than people who were at the bottom third.’

The scans showed the average brain size for those who were inactive was 1.4 per cent smaller than those who were most active

Dr Gu said: ‘Our results add to the evidence that more physical activity is linked to larger brain volume in older people.’