Walking Significantly Reduces Chance Of Early Death

Three older women are holding pink dumbbells.


Walking just 4,000 steps per day can significantly reduce your risk of an early death, according to a new meta analysis of studies.  “The more steps you walk, the better the effects on your health, and significant mortality reductions,†author Dr. Maciej Banach, deputy editor-in-chief of the European Society of Cardiology, told a reporter.  Anything below 5,000 steps per day is considered a sedentary lifestyle.  “We showed that every increase of steps by 1000 steps/day is associated with a 15% reduction in the risk of dying from any cause, and every increase by 500 steps/day is associated with a 7% reduction in dying from cardiovascular disease,†said Banach.

Walking May Reduce Dementia Risk

Three older women are holding pink dumbbells.


According to a large-scale study which was published in JAMA Neurology, walking 9,800 steps a day reduces your risk of cognitive impairment by up to 50%.  Walking 3,800 steps a day improves your chances of avoiding dementia by 25%.  Researchers monitored the daily step counts of more than 7,800 adults between the ages of 40 and 79 over a seven-year period.  “I think this reinforces recommendations that we can make to people that walking is likely to be beneficial,†Dr. Ronald Peterson, director of the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer’s Research Center, told AARP Bulletin.

Carmel, CA Seniors Need A Solid Exercise Routine

A group of people doing different exercises together.


At Family inHome Caregiving we emphasize to our clients the importance of a healthy diet, the proper amount of social interaction—difficult during the pandemic—and the right amount of exercise.  Most seniors put walking into their routine but experts say they need to add strength training.  As you age, loss of muscle strength and power leads to declining activity, increased frailty and functional dependence, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.  Resistance training is an easy way to add strength training to a daily regimen.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that seniors participate in activities at least two weeks that strengthen muscles along with a minimum of 150 minutes a week of moderate intensity activity such as brisk walking.