Previous studies have shown that people who average more than 1 steps per day have a lower risk of death.On the other hand, lack of exercise is one of the major public health issues in modern society, and many people find it difficult to walk more than 8000 steps a day due to work, chronic illnesses, and family circumstances.Therefore, in this study, we investigated the relationship between the frequency of walking 8000 steps or more in a week and the mortality rate.

　Data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey of the United States were used for the analysis, and the mortality risk of those who walked 1 steps or more per day for 8000 days, 0 to 1 days, and 2 to 3 days was examined.Compared with those on day 7, those on days 0-1 had a 2% lower risk of all-cause mortality and an 14.9% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality. Those with more than 8.0 days had a 3% lower risk of all-cause mortality and an 16.5% lower risk of cardiovascular mortality.

　What is noteworthy about this result is that the more days you walk 8000 steps or more, the lower your risk of death, as in previous research, but the rate of death risk reduction was lower for those who walked 1 steps or more on only one or two days a week. However, it was similar to those who walked for more than 2 days.In other words, even if regular exercise is difficult, achieving 8000 steps, even just one or two days a week, suggests the possibility of obtaining a sufficient positive impact on health.

　The results of this study, which showed the possibility of reducing health risks by adopting the habit of walking only a few days a week, are expected to become important evidence for the working generation and the elderly in modern society.

Paper information:[JAMA Network Open] Association of Daily Step Patterns with Mortality in US adults