Power walks work wonders against cancer and dementia, research shows

How fast you walk is just as important as how many steps you take in a day, research suggests.

Studies showed that walking 10,000 steps a day was associated with a lower risk of dementia, heart disease, cancer and death.

But experts also found that a faster pace, like a power walk, showed benefits beyond how many steps were recorded.

Co-author Dr. Matthew Ahmadi, research fellow at the University of Sydney’s Charles Perkins Center and Faculty of Medicine and Health, said: “The take-home message here is that for protective health benefits people could not only ideally aim for 10,000 steps a day, but also toward going faster.”

Associate Professor Borja del Pozo Cruz from the University of Southern Denmark, who is also a senior researcher in health at the University of Cadiz, said: “For less active individuals, our study also shows that as low as 3,800 steps a day can cut the risk of dementia by 25 per cent .

According to the research, each 2,000 steps lowered the risk of premature death incrementally by 8 percent to 11 percent, up to approximately 10,000 steps per day.

Similar relationships were seen for cardiovascular disease and cancer incidence.

A higher number of steps per day was associated with a lower risk of all-cause dementia.

Walking 9,800 steps was the optimal daily amount associated with a 50 percent lower risk of dementia, but the risk was reduced by 25 percent at as low as 3,800 steps.