Scientists reveal exact amount of steps needed per day to slash risk of dangerous health condition
Callum Jones
Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/aire images
Experts have detailed the exact number of steps you should be taking every day to reduce your risk of developing a dangerous heath condition.
Particularly for those who work in an office job or even complete their duties from home, it can be pretty difficult to get those steps in.
But to be brutally honest, it's important we all get our steps in to keep healthy.
So, what is the ideal number of steps we should all take each day?
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Well, you'll be glad to hear it's not the dreaded 10,000 mark, and the exact number has been backed up by a team of scientists in the UK.
A whopping 85,000 people were involved in the study with each participant wearing activity trackers measuring how often they were moving.
The team looked at how that correlated with the risk of developing 13 different types of cancers, and the results were pretty clear.
While the benefits seem to begin when you hit 5,000 steps, researchers found the magic number is in fact 7,000 steps per day.
The scientists explained that increasing your step count reduced your risk of six types of cancer, while an expert has explained how you can make sure you get your 7,000 steps in.
A senior lecturer in biochemistry at Loughborough University in the UK, Dr. Mhairi Morris, wrote in The Conversation: "At 7,000 steps, the risk of developing cancer dropped by 11%. At 9,000 steps, it dropped by 16%.
"Beyond 9,000 steps, the benefits levelled off. The difference in risk reduction became marginal, and varied slightly between men and women.
After following the participants for a period of six years, three percent of those involved developed some form of cancer according to the researchers.
Colon, rectal and lung cancer were most common in men, while breast, colon, endometrial and lung seemed to crop up more often in women.
Being more active reduced your risk of gastric, bladder, liver, endometrial, lung and head and neck cancer, according to the researchers.
Researchers even accounted for demographic and lifestyle factors that may have impacted the results, though the answers were still pretty clear: putting those steps in is going to make you healthier.
Dr Morris added: "Getting more steps into your routine, especially during middle age, could be one of the simplest ways to lower your risk of developing certain cancers."
And the expert offered an alternative for those looking to get going.
"Walking just two miles a day – roughly 4,000 steps, or about 40 minutes of light walking – could make a significant impact on your long-term health," the doctor added.
"You don’t have to do it all at once either. Break it up throughout the day by: taking the stairs instead of the lift; having a stroll at lunchtime; walking during phone calls; parking a bit further away from your destination."