3. Improve heart health
One of the major ways that walking can improve your heart health is by lowering your blood pressure. Some research shows that for every 1,000 daily steps you take, you could lower your systolic blood pressure by .45 points. That means if you clock in 10,000 daily steps, your systolic blood pressure is likely to be 2.25 points lower than someone else who walks only 5,000 daily steps.
One of the most cited studies on walking and health, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that those who walked enough to meet physical activity guidelines had a 30% lower risk of cardiovascular events (like a heart attack or stroke) compared with those who did not walk regularly. Another study found that especially for older adults, every 500 additional steps taken daily was associated with 14% lower risk of heart disease, stroke or heart failure.
4. Reduce your risk of chronic diseases
A 2022 study published in Nature Medicine has shown that walking can reduce your risk for a variety of chronic diseases. One study showed that walking 8,200 steps effectively reduced the risk of chronic conditions, including: obesity, sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), major depressive disorder (MDD), diabetes, and hypertension. The same study also found that walking even more steps continues to increase walking’s benefits for nearly every health condition studied.
The American Diabetes Association officially recommends walking to lower blood sugar levels and lower your overall risk for type 2 diabetes. One 2022 study published in Sports Medicine showed specifically that just two minutes of walking after eating can help lower blood sugar. Even the shortest of walks can make a difference.
Still, for disease prevention, longer walks are key. Stanten recommends doing one hour-long walk at least once or twice a week.