The study, led by Professor Melody Ding from the University of Sydney, has made a groundbreaking discovery that walking 7000 steps a day can offer similar health benefits as walking 10,000 steps. This finding is based on an analysis of data from 57 studies conducted in over ten countries between 2014 and 2025.

The researchers examined the impact of different daily step counts on various health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. They found that walking at least 7000 steps a day can significantly improve eight major health outcomes, such as reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, and depressive symptoms.

Professor Melody Ding emphasized that aiming for 7000 steps is a realistic goal for people who struggle to meet traditional exercise guidelines. “Even small increases in step counts, like going from 2000 to 4000 steps a day, are associated with significant health gains,” she said.

The researchers compared the health outcomes of people walking at different step increments, starting at 2000 steps per day. They found that:

* When compared to 2000 steps a day, walking 7000 steps a day was associated with a 47% lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer.
* For those who cannot yet achieve 7000 steps a day, even small increases in step counts can lead to significant health improvements.

Experts are calling for future studies to explore how step goals should vary based on age, health status, and region. They also suggest including diverse populations and longer-term data to strengthen the evidence. Professor Ding emphasizes that this kind of detail is rare and will be useful for health practitioners when tailoring advice for patients.

Overall, the study suggests that walking 7000 steps a day can be a more achievable and beneficial goal than previously thought, and even small increases in daily movement can lead to meaningful health improvements.

The British Journal of Sports Medicine has published a study that finds being consistently physically active in adulthood is linked to a 30-40% lower risk of death from any cause in later life. This means that even if you haven’t been active throughout your life, it’s never too late to start moving more and reap the benefits. In fact, switching to a more active lifestyle at any point in adult life may extend your lifespan.

The study analyzed data from 85 studies that measured physical activity at two or more points in time. The results showed that consistently active people had around a 30-40% lower risk of dying from any cause, while those who increased their levels of physical activity from below the recommended levels had a 20-25% lower risk of death from any cause.

The researchers also found that generally, the associations observed between a high level of physical activity and a lower risk of death were more evident for cardiovascular disease than for cancer. However, the evidence for the associations between physical activity patterns and death from a specific cause remained inconclusive, especially for death from cancer.

Despite these limitations, the study’s findings have important public health implications. The researchers emphasize the importance of sustained physical activity over time and suggest that future interventions may not only target inactive people but also support active people to maintain their activity.

In conclusion, this study highlights the power of movement in adding years to your life. Whether you’re 20 or 60, it’s never too late to start exercising regularly and reap the benefits for your overall health and well-being. So, get moving and make physical activity a priority in your life!

The study of lemurs has long fascinated scientists, and a recent research breakthrough by biological anthropologist Elaine Guevara is shedding new light on the primate’s remarkable ability to age without inflammation. This phenomenon, known as “inflammaging,” is a widespread issue in humans, leading to health problems such as heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer, and osteoarthritis.

Guevara’s research focused on ring-tailed and sifaka lemurs, two species that differ in their life pacing and lifespan. By studying these primates, Guevara aimed to understand why they avoid the inevitability of inflammaging observed in humans. Her findings were surprising: neither species showed age-related changes in markers of oxidative stress or inflammation. In fact, ring-tailed lemurs even exhibited marginal declines in inflammation with age.

This discovery, consistent with recent studies on other non-human primates, suggests that inflamaging is not a universal feature of primates, and perhaps not even a universal feature of humans. Christine Drea, a professor of evolutionary anthropology who worked alongside Guevara, notes that this study points to differences in aging between humans and lemurs.

As we grow older, low-grade chronic inflammation sets in, causing a range of health problems. Understanding why inflamaging increases with age in humans, what causes it, and how it can be prevented is critical information for unlocking ways to help humans live longer and healthier lives. Guevara’s study serves as the first step in unraveling these questions.

The next step for Guevara and her team is to conduct similar research on lemurs in their natural habitat. This will provide valuable insights into how aging can differ between captivity and the wild, and whether inflamaging is intrinsic or environmental.

With a rapidly aging global population, these findings are essential for mitigating disability and improving quality of life in later years. Guevara’s breakthrough study offers new hope that we may be able to learn from lemurs’ remarkable ability to age without inflammation, leading to better health outcomes for humans worldwide.