Boosting Health with Just 14 More Steps

Walking just 14 additional steps per minute could significantly enhance your health, according to new research. A study by the University of Chicago involved 102 frail adults in their late 70s who were generally exhausted by minimal exercise. They were encouraged to participate in a 45-minute walking session three times a week.

During the four-month study, half of the participants maintained a ‘relaxed and comfortable pace’ while the rest were instructed to walk ‘as fast as they safely could.’ By the end, those in the faster group increased their average step count by 14 steps per minute, reaching about 100 steps — typical for most adults.

Interestingly, this group saw a ten percent improvement in their six-minute walking distance, suggesting better endurance and cardiovascular health. Notably, it seemed to also indicate increased muscle mass and a reduced risk of falls, which are a leading cause of injury-related deaths in adults over 65. Additionally, improved aerobic fitness is generally linked to living longer and maintaining independence in later years.

In contrast, the relaxed group did not show any significant improvement during the same period.

Dr. Daniel Rubin, the study leader, mentioned that this research highlighted how walking a few more steps could increase the likelihood of improving endurance in older adults. He noted that seniors are often moving at around 82 steps per minute, compared to the average adult’s rate of 100 to 130 steps per minute.

Interestingly, the average American only manages about 5,100 steps daily, which falls short of the recommended 10,000 steps.

The paper, published in PLOS One, involved participants from 14 retirement homes. Frail adults were characterized by various symptoms such as weight loss, weakness, and a sedentary lifestyle. Only 35 percent of the participants could walk without assistance, while the others occasionally needed a cane, walker, or wheelchair.

Over the initial sessions, participants walked at their own comfort level. Later, the fast-walking group was prompted to increase their intensity to about 70 percent of their maximum heart rate, determined by the formula of 220 minus their age. For many in the study, this meant reaching approximately 147 beats per minute, with 70 percent translating to about 103 beats per minute.

As the study progressed, walking sessions were adjusted to include a warm-up and a slight increase in speed for the faster group. All movements were monitored via an activPAL tracker on their thighs, which measured steps and pace.

Interestingly, those in the relaxed group ended up walking less, decreasing from 82 to 77 steps per minute. Meanwhile, the fast-walking group increased their counts from 86 to 100 steps per minute. When looking at endurance through the six-minute walk test, the relaxed group showed a minor improvement in distance — moving from 836 to 869 feet. However, the fast walkers improved significantly, walking from 843 to 1,033 feet, a noticeable ten percent rise.

To wrap up, the researchers pointed out that, while both groups had the same frequency and duration of exercise, the real difference lay in the intensity of the walking. They concluded that frail and prefrail older adults could benefit greatly from increasing their steps per minute during fixed-volume walking sessions.

The study received funding from the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute on Aging.