Walking is one of the healthiest and most underrated activities you can incorporate into your daily routine. You can do it for free…just about anywhere…at any time of year.
Of course, lots of fitness experts and bloggers insist you should take 10,000 steps a day to lower your disease risk and increase your longevity.
But, as I’ve mentioned before, that notion is completely BOGUS.
Not to mention, some are coming to realize that setting the goal so ridiculously high probably does more to discourage—rather than encourage—healthy behaviors. And the science backs this theory up!
In fact, a new study shows you can SLASH your risk of developing a MAJOR metabolic disease by taking FAR FEWER than 10,000 steps a day.
Better yet, the target is so moderate…you may already hit it daily without even thinking twice!
Let me explain…
Short, daily walks help ward off this MAJOR metabolic disease
For this new study, researchers analyzed data on about 4,800 healthy women, ages 65 and older.
They asked the women to wear a pedometer one day a week for 24 hours to record the number of steps taken. And they followed them over the next seven years.
Over that time period, 395 women developed Type II diabetes…the MAJOR metabolic disease that can ruin your health.
But it turns out, for every 1,000 steps taken per day by the women, they experienced a 6 percent LOWER risk of developing the disease.
The researchers also extrapolated those numbers out to the entire U.S. population of older adults to see what kind of effect it would have…
And the results are quite powerful, to say the least!
They estimated if ALL older adults in the U.S. would take just 2,000 steps per day…60,000 people EACH YEAR could ward off Type II diabetes.
In other words, there’s simply no need to pound away for hours on a treadmill—or to train for any type of “marathon” event—to help BOOST your health.
Instead, the researchers said just walking “around the block one time” is enough to lower older adults’ risk of Type II diabetes (for the average person ages 70 to 80 years).
Every step counts (literally!)
Here are some other simple ways to increase your daily steps:
- Ask friends, family, or colleagues to go along with you for walking meetings.
- When you’re on the phone, get up and walk around. (Preferably outside in Nature!)
- Make it a habit to stand up and walk around at least every hour during the day. (You can use a timer to remind you.)
- Park at the far end of the parking lot to increase the distance to your destination.
- Walk around the sidelines at children’s sporting events.
- Take the stairs, instead of the elevator. (One flight up and two flights down.)
- Take the long route to the restroom or breakroom.
- If you have dogs, walk them at least daily. Take them out to places where they can run off leash and try to keep up! And if you don’t have a dog, consider adopting one!
As always, I encourage you to walk outside in Nature as often as possible…instead of indoors or on a treadmill. For one, research shows you get lots of mental, emotional, and physical benefits just by spending time in the natural world!
Plus, when you walk outside on natural surfaces, it’s easier on your joints…more challenging for your brain and muscles…and more interesting for your mind.
Going outside also exposes you to sunlight, which helps your body produce the vitamin D it needs for virtually every metabolic process and function.
In addition, studies show that working out in Nature lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which has been linked to many chronic diseases.
For more surprisingly simple ways to ward of Type II diabetes, in addition to walking, check out the April 2022 issue of Insiders’ Cures (“Sugar and carbs PROTECT AGAINST diabetes and disease?!”). If you’re not yet a subscriber to my monthly newsletter, click here to check it out.