Older adults who walk 3 or 4 miles daily see lower heart disease rates (2024)

FAQs

Older adults who walk 3 or 4 miles daily see lower heart disease rates? ›

Older adults who walk three to four miles a day — 6,000 to 9,000 steps — were found to be 40 to 50 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke than those who walk a mile (2,000 steps) a day, according to research published in the journal Circulation.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), healthy seniors should walk 7,000 – 10,000 steps per day. That's an average of three to three and a half miles throughout the course of a day.

However, even walking short amounts can combat heart disease and early mortality. “What is different is that previous studies have suggested you need at least 4,000 steps per day and ideally 6,000 to 8,000 for significant benefit.” Dr.

An 80-year-old should ideally aim to walk between 2,000 and 9,000 steps daily, approximately 1 to 4.5 miles, depending on their physical condition. However, a minimum of an hour of walking per week is beneficial.

A recent study finds that walking between 6,000 and 9,000 steps daily is linked to a dramatically lower risk of cardiovascular disease for older adults. Each additional 1,000 steps taken daily, especially for people who currently walk less than 3,000 steps a day, marks a substantial reduction in cardiovascular risk.

A daily 3-mile walk can help reduce stress levels, alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression, and boost your mood. It's a natural way to clear your mind, increase creativity, and enhance your overall happiness.

Regular cardiovascular fitness, like running, walking, cycling, and swimming, can help lower your resting heart rate. In this article, we'll discuss the importance of tracking your heart rate, how to measure your heart rate and the various factors that can influence heart rate.

Let's Look at the Research

7,000-10,000 steps per day for adults aged 18-59 years. 6,000-8,000 steps per day for adults aged 60+ years. 7,500 steps per day for women aged 62-101 years.

Walking is a form of low impact, moderate intensity exercise that has a range of health benefits and few risks. As a result, the CDC recommend that most adults aim for 10,000 steps per day . For most people, this is the equivalent of about 8 kilometers, or 5 miles.

Research points to the health indicators of various walking speeds in adults 65 and older: Speeds ≤ 1.3 miles per hour suggest poor health and functional status. A speed of 1.8 mph is the median walking pace for this population. Speeds ≥ 2.2 mph suggest healthier aging.

What happens to your heart when you walk everyday? ›

Walking briskly increases your heart rate, improves circulation and lowers your blood pressure. Research shows that stepping up your walking pace may cut your risk of dying from heart disease in half, when compared to people walking at a slow pace.

You start with simple 10-minute strolls four days a week, including a warmup and cool down. You increase your duration and intensity gradually to 35 minutes of brisk walking 5 days a week. Although we hear a lot about walking 10,000 steps a day, Dr. Skali says you don't have to hit that number to achieve benefits.

The American Sleep Association has found that seniors who are physically active in the morning enjoy better sleep quality at night. Walking helps to regulate your body's internal circadian rhythm, contributing towards healthier and more restful sleep.

Brisk walking can benefit a person's overall health and may help slow aging. Though the pace can vary between people, a person should aim for about 100 steps per minute to achieve a brisk walk.

Studies have repeatedly shown walking can help improve circulation and blood pressure. Walking is one of the best exercises for heart health. The CDC recommends walking at least 150 minutes weekly for adults 65 and older.

Chronic extreme exercise training and competing in endurance events can lead to heart damage and rhythm disorders. People with genetic risk factors are especially vulnerable. That doesn't mean you should put away the walking shoes, though.

With every step, walking offers benefits and is some of the best exercise for heart health. It can improve your cholesterol levels, blood pressure and energy levels, plus it can fight weight gain to improve heart health overall, explains the American Heart Association.

Older adults who walk three to four miles a day — 6,000 to 9,000 steps — were found to be 40 to 50 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke than those who walk a mile (2,000 steps) a day, according to research published in the journal Circulation.

You may associate all that blood-pumping action with running and wonder, “Is walking cardio?” The truth is that any activity that gets your heart and lungs, as well as your large muscle groups, working harder can be considered aerobic or cardio exercise. A brisk walk does all those things.

Walking tones your leg and abdominal muscles – and even arm muscles if you pump them as you walk. This increases your range of motion, shifting the pressure and weight from your joints to your muscles.

Can walking 3 miles a day lower blood pressure? ›

You may see noticeable improvements in fitness as early as 3 to 4 weeks with regular walking. Over time your risk of heart disease will decrease. And your blood pressure may improve in 3 months. Brisk walks (walking 3 miles per hour or faster) have greater benefits.

How can someone strengthen their heart muscle? “A good diet, exercise and controlling your blood pressure and cholesterol all help promote a strong heart and prevent heart disease. For people who already have a weak heart, low sodium intake, proper exercise and compliance with medications can all prevent more problems.

Staying hydrated

When the body is dehydrated, the amount of blood flowing through the body is reduced, so the heart has to work harder to stabilize blood flow. A 2017 study found that a 335-milliliter drink of water could reduce resting heart rate over a 30-minute period. This decline continued for another 30 minutes.

Again, with increasing intensity, the walking heart rate will also increase. For example, while brisk walking the average heart rate would be 120-140 beats per minute, and while walking uphill it may go up to 150-170 beats per minute. If you have a heart rate 170 when walking, you should definitely consult a doctor.

As far as recommendations go, the Centers or Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests adults engage in 2-1/2 hours of moderate activity every week. This would mean a walk of 7,000 or 8,000 steps a day or 3 to 4 miles.

If a person was to commit to walking 4,500 extra steps per day, or roughly 3 extra miles, they would be burning an extra 300 calories a day (at least). Burning 300 calories each day leads to a weekly deficit of 2100 calories. After a month, that's roughly 9000 cal burned, which equates to approximately 2.6 pounds lost.

Can a person lose belly fat by walking? Regular aerobic exercise such as walking may be an effective way to lose belly fat. A 2014 study supports this and concluded that walking could help to burn body fat, including fat around the waist and within the abdominal cavity.