The optimal amount of walking for reducing mortality

It's even more significant for those 65+

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Longevity Hound
April 03, 2023

Walking — good for both humans and dogs, as long as you get enough of it, and often

What's the news: 4 days a week of walking 8,000+ steps significantly reduces your chances of death.

Why should we believe it: This news comes from a study published last month, March 2023, by scientists at UCLA and Kyoto University.

Earlier studies have shown that walking 8,000+ steps reduces all-cause mortality. This new study took it one step further and asked, how often do you need to walk 8,000+ steps so you minimize your chances of dying?

Take these results with a grain of salt: The study design to answer this question was unusual. The scientists tracked 3101 people back in 2005-2006 for one week and had them wear an accelerometer to measure how many steps they took. Then the scientists waited, and waited, and waited, until 2019, to see how many of those 3101 people died.

This means we’re talking about an observational study, not a controlled study. In other words, it just shows a correlation, rather than causation. What's more, one week of typical walking, back in 2005, might not be all that representative. With these caveats, here's what the scientists found:

  1. Walking 8,000+ steps 3-7 days a week was linked to 16.5% lower all-cause mortality over walking that amount 0 days a week

  2. Walking 8,000+ steps 5 or more days a week wasn't any better for reducing mortality than walking 8,000 just 4 days a week

  3. The effect was much more pronounced in people aged 65+: walking 8,000+ steps 3-7 days a week reduced all-cause mortality by 27.7% over 0 days of walking 8,000+ steps

Why is this a big deal: Walking is generally good for your physical and mental health, and this study takes that into yet another dimension — getting enough steps per day, more often than not, makes you less likely to die, and significantly so.

So what specifically can you do now: Walk. It's good for you, and it might keep you from dying. And even though your Long Youthspan editor likes to walk more than the minimum, the science says all you need for the basic benefits is 8,000 steps, just 4 times a week.