A study of over 226,000 people from throughout the world revealed that 4,000 was enough to begin lowering the chance of dying early from any cause.
A little more than 2,300 is plenty to help the heart and blood vessels.
According to the study, the more you do, the greater the health advantages.
Every additional 1,000 steps above 4,000 lowered the chance of dying prematurely by 15% up to 20,000 steps.
The researchers from Poland’s Medical University of Lodz and the United States Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine discovered that walking helps people of all genders and ages, regardless of where they live.
However, the under-60s reaped the greatest rewards.
Prof. Maciej Banach of the University of Lodz stated that while the number of modern pharmaceuticals for therapy is increasing, they are not the sole solution.
He said, “I believe we should always emphasize that lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise, which was a main hero of our analysis, might be at least as, or even more, effective in reducing cardiovascular risk and prolonging lives,”
According to World Health Organization data, inadequate physical exercise is the fourth leading cause of mortality globally, accounting for 3.2 million deaths per year.
Honey Fine, a personal trainer, and instructor for the worldwide fitness business Barry’s, emphasises the dangers of excessive sitting.
“It can slow your metabolism and affect muscle growth and strength, which can cause aches and pains,” she explains to the BBC.
“Sitting down for too long can also cause all sorts of back problems, we find this a lot with people with office jobs, that their backs are constantly put in a stressed compressed position which causes a lot more problems later on in life.”
She explains the importance of non-exercise activity thermogenesis – also known as Neat, “which in simple terms is everything we do that uses energy and burns calories”.
“Tasks like standing, carrying shopping, washing the floors, hoovering, pacing whilst talking on the phone – it’s all the little things that make us more active that help us to burn calories more efficiently,” she stated.
Ms. Fine claims that, while incorporating regular walks into your routine may be difficult, the benefits to your health are substantial.
“Walking can lower your blood pressure, strengthen your muscles to protect your bones, it can increase energy levels as well as give you endorphins and it can help you maintain a healthy weight alongside healthy eating,” she says.
Other advantages include improved mental health and valuable time away from computers and other distractions.
Walking is suited for “almost anybody” because it is low impact and gentle on joints and muscles, she adds.
Walking advice from a personal trainer
Rather than using the bus or vehicle, walk to the station.
Set hourly reminders to get up and walk about if you work at a desk.
Walking is the finest type of exercise to perform when pregnant.
Take a 30-minute walk every day while listening to a podcast.
Walk with friends in a park or on forest paths, and if you have a dog, walk it.
Begin small – a 10-minute walk from the railway to the workplace may easily progress to a 20-minute stroll through the park and, eventually, a 30-minute stroll around town.