Overview
- An analysis of 13,547 U.S. women around age 72 found that hitting at least 4,000 steps on one or two days in a week was linked to 26% lower all-cause mortality and 27% lower cardiovascular disease risk versus never reaching that level.
- Participants wore accelerometers for seven days between 2011 and 2015 and were followed for nearly 11 years, during which 1,765 women (13%) died and 781 (5%) developed cardiovascular disease.
- Reaching the 4,000-step mark on three or more days was associated with a 40% lower risk of death from any cause, while benefits for cardiovascular outcomes showed signs of leveling at higher step counts.
- Higher daily counts of roughly 5,000 to 7,000 steps correlated with additional reductions in mortality, but the study indicates that average weekly step totals—not the number of days a threshold is met—drive the protective association.
- The study is observational, measured activity during only one week, and focused on mostly white, older American women, so the findings cannot prove causation and may not generalize to other groups.