“Walking is the best medicine for man,” said Hippocrates. Two thousand years later, science has finally proven him right by precisely quantifying the amount of physical activity we need to do daily to protect our hearts and arteries from the risk of cardiovascular disease: at least 2,000 steps a day, or about a twenty-minute walk.
This level of exercise would be enough to reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by 8% in people with prediabetes—and this after just one year. And the risk continues to decrease with every additional 2,000 steps per day!
Studies had already demonstrated the benefits of walking—and, more generally, of moderate physical activity—for our health. But now, a consortium of researchers has succeeded in determining, in an international study published by the British medical journal *The Lancet*, the number of steps needed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. To do so, they selected 9,306 patients who had a diabetes risk factor, namely impaired glucose tolerance (IGT). Considered a precursor to type 2 diabetes, this condition is clearly associated with an increased risk of myocardial infarction and stroke. It occurs when the body loses its natural ability to respond to the effects of insulin and regulate blood sugar levels, or blood glucose. Blood sugar levels then become abnormally high, although this does not yet constitute diabetes. PGI affects more than 340 million people worldwide—nearly 8% of the global population—and this proportion could reach 8.4% by 2030.
Walking is good for our hearts and arteries!
To study the relationship between the amount of physical activity and the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, researchers used a scientific calculation method. All participants underwent a lifestyle modification program involving calorie reduction and an increase in physical activity to up to 150 minutes per week. Statistical modeling not only demonstrated that 2,000 steps per day made a difference in cardiovascular risk; it also showed that even without changing their eating habits, people who walk are better protected against this risk than those who are sedentary. It is worth noting that the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends walking at least 10,000 steps per day, which corresponds to a distance of 6 to 8 kilometers.
Ideally, therefore, one should walk daily—or at least several times a week—for half an hour or more. Consistency is important, as the benefits of walking are cumulative; the longer the gaps between sessions, the less pronounced these effects will be. These benefits include lower blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels, relief from back pain and pain caused by osteoarthritis, improved bone density, and enhanced respiratory capacity, resulting in better oxygenation of the organs and muscles.
Any other moderate-intensity physical activity that engages the whole body can be practiced to achieve the same benefits. However, walking has the advantage of requiring virtually no equipment and being completely free. As for pace, it naturally varies depending on a person’s physical condition; it is generally accepted that a speed of 90 to 110 steps per minute—or 4 to 5 km per hour—is achievable for most people.
Most people, without realizing it, take about 7,000 steps a day. So it doesn’t take much more to reach the level of physical activity that we now know helps reduce the risk of developing heart disease. Taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking to the bakery on Sunday morning to buy croissants, getting off the bus one stop before your destination, or parking your car a little farther away than usual so you can walk part of the way… It’s these small details that are often enough to reach the required level.
To learn more: Watch the talk by Laurence Vignaux, head of cardiorespiratory physical therapy at La Tour Hospital: “La marche, votre atout santé”