“In recent years there have been several international publications arguing that achieving 10,000 steps per day is a good goal, but the positive effects are perceptible at lower step counts too,” said Dr. Vince Fazekas-Pongor, Assistant Professor at Semmelweis University’s Institute of Preventive Medicine and Public Health.
A very simple way to increase activity, and one that has been proven to improve health even in the short term, is to increase the number of steps you take per day without the need for any equipment. What is more, it is easy to do in nice weather since you can go for a walk, hike, and do sports outdoors. “A healthy lifestyle is not a goal that you can tick off, you can’t sit back once you have achieved it; it’s something you have to keep up and strive for continuously. As Europe is an ageing society, it is very important to aim for healthy ageing, i.e. to increase healthy life expectancy,” he added. Increasing the number of steps yields health gains especially for three major disease groups. The risk of cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and strokes, is 43 percent lower among people who take an average of 9,500 steps a day, compared to those who take only 3,800 steps a day.
The researchers found that even increasing the number of steps taken by 2,000 reduces the risk of tumorous diseases, and that increasing the number of steps taken by 10 percent also shows such a downward trend.
As far as dementia is concerned, the risk of developing the disease is reduced above 5,000 steps already. This protective effect increases particularly sharply up to six thousand steps. In addition, increasing the number of steps also has a beneficial effect on respiratory diseases, sleep quality, and mental well-being, and mortality rates are significantly reduced above 10,000 steps.
As the assistant professor noted, referring to one of the most respected and widely cited studies (UK Biobank):
For people over the age of 60, taking 6,000 or more steps a day is associated with significant health gains.
According to Dr. Vince Fazekas-Pongor, it is of paramount importance that when you want to change your lifestyle or increase your activity level, you should set a realistic goal. If you don’t have a sense of achievement, you can quickly give up and, because every step counts, you can gain a lot even by increasing your daily activity by 500 steps a day, or by 10% of your average daily steps.
Semmelweis University’s Institute of Preventive Medicine and Public Health and Semmelweis University Outpatient Clinic, in cooperation with several departments and units of the university, have set themselves the goal of developing the Semmelweis Caring University Model Program, which is unique in Hungary and Central Europe, as part of the Family Friendly University Program.
The initiative “Workplace opportunities for increasing physical activity by increasing the number of steps” was launched as part of this model program in spring 2024, with one-month, three-month, six-month, and one-year follow-ups.
More than one hundred and fifty employees of Semmelweis University participated in the study. Candidates were randomly selected into three groups. Members of one group received regular motivational e-mails, while the second group received personal counseling in addition to e-mails. The third group, the control group, received no motivational intervention. After the eighth week, researchers at the institute recorded an overall increase of 40 percent in the number of steps taken by those who had received some form of motivational intervention, which means that, due to the program, the average number of steps taken had increased to around 8,500 compared to the initial 6,000.
Tips for increasing the number of steps taken
- On your way to work, use public transport and get off a stop or two earlier.
- If you drive, park your car further away.
- If you have to wait a few minutes for the bus, streetcar, or trackless trolley, walk to the next stop.
- Either have lunch outside the office, e.g. in a canteen or restaurant within walking distance, or go for a walk after lunch.
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator at work/home.
- Walk about while talking on the phone.
- At work, stand up every hour and take a few steps.
- On weekends, organize outdoor activities: hike, go for a walk, exercise outdoors, take advantage of the good weather.
- Involve your family, friends, acquaintances, and colleagues because changing your lifestyle and getting more active works better if done together with others.
Orsolya Dávid
Translation: Dr. Balázs Csizmadia
Featured image (illustration): freepik.com; photo by Boglárka Zellei – Semmelweis University
