“Stride Secret” SUPERCHARGES Your Walks
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted October 29, 2022
I bet you’ve been told you should be walking 10,000 steps a day.
And if you’re like most folks, you assume that widely quoted figure was arrived scientifically after YEARS of study and research.
But it turns out we’ve all been hoodwinked. A guy just made that number up.
I’m serious. One guy essentially picked the number out of the air. But now everyone swears that it’s gospel.
And countless folks are convinced if they fall short, they’ll keel over from a heart attack at age 47!
I’m a fairly active person. Unless I’m hiking in the woods or training for a long race, I usually log around 5,000 to 7,000 steps a day.
From personal AND professional experience, I know that 10,000 steps a day simply isn’t realistic for many. Nor is it strictly necessary. In fact, research shows people can get big benefits from just getting out of their chairs and off their couches more often.
But there’s another science-backed “step secret” that could also significantly affect your overall health and longevity. And it’s something most folks never give a moment’s thought.
Two studies published in JAMA Internal Medicine and JAMA Neurology followed a combined 78,500 adults with wearable step trackers.
What they found suggests the PACE at which you walk is equally as how many steps you take.
Unsurprisingly the researchers did find a lower risk of cancer, heart disease, and dementia in those super-humans who somehow were able to walk 10,000 steps every day.
After all, we KNOW walking is good for you. And generally, the more exercise you get, the better.
But folks who walked with a FASTER PACE benefited the most. Plus, people who took fewer than 10,000 steps still got some significant benefits.
Some of the highlights…
- Every 2,000 steps lowered premature death by 8 to 11 percent (up to that fabled 10,000 steps)
- People who took 3,800 steps a day had a 25 percent lower risk of dementia.
- Folks who took 9,800 steps saw a 50 percent drop in dementia risk
But regardless of the number of steps taken anyone who walked faster saw even bigger benefits above and beyond those linked to the steps taken.
Picking up the pace reduced the risk of dementia, heart disease, cancer, and death even further than just steps alone.
The key to pace-related health benefits is raising your heart rate. And walking faster or choosing uphill routes can bump up your own numbers.
Picking up your pace can sound a bit daunting at first. But it’s often easier than you think.
I like to choose an object in the distance, like a tree or building, and then walk quickly until I arrive at the landmark before slowing down. Or you can try walking faster for one minute every five minutes before returning to your normal pace.
Invite a friend (or a few), and you’ll find it can be FUN too. But no matter how you choose to do it, keep in mind it’s best to start out slowly and increase your walking pace over time.
P.S. Recent research revealed the PRECISE amount of time you need to walk after a meal to send blood sugar and insulin levels plummeting. You’ll find all the details here in my earlier report.
Sources:
“Prospective Associations of Daily Step Counts and Intensity with Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence and Mortality and All-cause Mortality,” JAMA Internal Medicine (2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.4000
“Association of Daily Step Count and Intensity With Incident Dementia in 78 430 Adults Living in the UK,” JAMA Neurology (2022). DOI: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.2672
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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