The scientists reported that “our findings suggest that approximately 9,800 steps per day are probably optimal for reducing the risk of dementia.”
People who take about 9,800 steps a day, especially if some of them are done vigorously and at a fast pace, significantly reduce their risk of developing dementia by about 50%, a new Danish-Australian scientific study shows. Beyond that number, even more steps seem to have no extra benefit—for brain health, at least.
The researchers from the universities of Southern Denmark and Sydney, who made the relevant publication in the American neurology journal “JAMA Neurology”, studied 78,430 people aged 40 to 79 who wore a special device to record their steps on their wrist for almost seven years. Dementia cases (866 in total) diagnosed over the next seven years were then recorded.
The scientists said: “Our findings suggest that around 9,800 steps a day are probably ideal for reducing the risk of dementia. But we calculated that even the minimum “dose” of 3,800 steps daily is associated with a 25% reduction in the likelihood of dementia.”
It is also of great importance if one walks in a dynamic and deliberate manner. It is estimated that 6,300 such steps a day can reduce the risk of dementia by up to 57%. According to the researchers, the optimal walking pace is 112 brisk steps per minute for 30 minutes (not necessarily continuously), which is associated with a reduction in the risk of dementia by up to 62%.
It is estimated that the average person takes 3,000 to 4,000 steps a day. There are special mobile phone apps that show how many steps someone is taking, so they can gradually increase their number until they reach either the goal of nearly 10,000 steps per day (adding about 1,000 steps every two weeks) or 112 steps per minute.
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