Scientists named the number of steps to combat the harm of sedentary work

An international team of researchers from the University of Sydney has determined the optimal number of daily steps for people with sedentary lifestyles. It turned out that 9,000–10,000 steps per day can significantly offset the harm of prolonged sitting. The study was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

The large-scale study involved 72,174 volunteers from the UK Biobank. Over an average period of 6.9 years, they wore wrist-mounted accelerometers. Participants were divided into two groups: those who spent more than 10.6 hours per day sitting and those whose sitting time was significantly less.

The results were impressive. Among those who sat for extended periods but took 9,000–10,000 steps daily, the risk of cardiovascular disease decreased by 21%, and the risk of death dropped by 39% compared to sedentary participants.

Notably, as few as 4,000–4,500 steps per day already provided half of the possible protective effect. Moreover, any movement beyond 2,200 steps reduced the risk of death and heart disease — regardless of how many hours a person spent sitting.

"Taking 9,000 to 10,000 steps per day optimally reduces the risk of mortality and cardiovascular disease in people leading sedentary lifestyles," concluded epidemiologist Matthew Ahmadi.