How increasing daily steps by 3,000 can lower blood pressure
A new study found that increasing daily walking goal by just 3,000 extra steps can reduce blood pressure among older adults.
Maintaining healthy blood pressure is essential for older adults to protect them against conditions such as heart attacks and strokes. A new study found that increasing the daily walking goal by 3,000 steps can help older adults keep their blood pressure within healthy levels.
A new study, published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease, found that adding a relatively minimal amount of movement, about 3,000 extra steps per day, can significantly reduce high blood pressure in older adults. This study aimed to determine if a moderate increase in daily walking, one of the easiest and most popular forms of physical activity, could benefit older adults with hypertension.
Also read: Why it is important to walk 4,000 steps a day
For the study, the researchers focused on a group of sedentary older adults between ages 68 and 78 who walked an average of about 4,000 steps per day before the study.
The findings showed increasing daily walking by just 3,000 steps could have several benefits for older adults. In the study, participants’ systolic and diastolic blood pressure decreased by an average of seven and four points, respectively, after the intervention. Furthermore, eight of the 21 participants who were already on anti-hypertensive medications observed improvements in systolic blood pressure.
Previous studies have also shown when exercise is combined with medications, it boosts their health benefits. “We saw that the volume of physical activity is what’s really important here, not the intensity,” study author Linda Pescatello said in the statement. “Using the volume as a target, whatever fits in and whatever works convey health benefits.”
Over the years, several studies have found a myriad of benefits of walking. For instance, in August, a study published in the journal European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that walking more than 4,000 steps per day can reduce your risk of dying from any cause and about 3,000 steps can improve cardiovascular health. Another study, published in the journal JAMA Network Open in March found that people who walked 8,000 steps or more one or two days a week were 14.9% less likely to die over 10 years compared to those who did not reach this mark.
These studies show that sometimes a simple lifestyle change can have long-lasting health benefits.
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First Published:28 Sep 2023, 03:16 PM IST
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