Share to ClassroomTwo Studies Say 10,000 Steps Not Needed
Many people try to walk 10,000 steps a day. But two studies suggest that you may not need so many steps to help your brain. In the first study, Harvard University researchers followed about 300 adults aged 50 to 90 for up to 14 years. All of them had early signs of Alzheimer's disease. Walking 3,000 to 5,000 steps a day slowed their mental decline, the slow loss of thinking skills, by about three years. Walking 5,000 to 7,500 steps slowed it by about seven years. More than 7,500 steps gave no extra help.
The 10,000-step goal started as a marketing idea about 60 years ago, not as advice from scientists. A newer study from Baylor College of Medicine used Fitbit data from 3,093 people. People who walked about 8,900 or 14,200 steps a day did better on tests of attention and ignoring distractions than people who walked about 5,100 steps. Every extra 1,000 steps was linked to better scores.
Both studies have limits. Most people in them were white and well educated, so the results may not be true for everyone. The Baylor study's author, Dr. Olaoluwa Okusaga, said the study shows a link, not proof that walking makes people think better. Still, doctors say exercise, healthy food and good sleep can help lower the risk of dementia.
