The Benefits of Walking 5,000 Steps 3 Times a Week
New research by Vitality and the London School of Economics shows that walking at least 5,000 steps three times a week is a milestone habit that, when maintained for two years, can add up to three years to a previously inactive individual’s life expectancy and reduce their healthcare costs by up to 13%.
The study mapped the physical activity and nutrition behaviours across one million Vitality members over 10 years to determine the best ways to form and maintain healthy habits, and to understand the science of how healthy habits can lead to longer, healthier lives.
Globally, insufficient physical activity is associated with up to five million premature deaths every year; and estimates suggest that one in five deaths are now associated with poor diet, with 1.5 billion people predicted to be obese by 2035.
The WHO estimates that 27.5% of adults and 81% of adolescents are physically inactive. If this level of inactivity continues, new cases of preventable non-communicable diseases (such as type 2 diabetes) will cost health systems US$27 billion each year.
As countries around the world deal with the strain of rising disease risks and treatment costs, the Habit Index research sheds light on the small changes that people can make to improve their health and the significant impact that habitual physical activity could have on making global health systems more resilient and sustainable.
The impact on the individual
Small changes to create and sustain healthier habits could significantly impact individuals’ health outcomes. Major positive impacts were seen across all age groups; however, this was particularly true for older generations, showing that it’s never too late to start. People 65 and older saw a 52% reduction in their mortality risk after sustaining a habit of 7,500 steps three or more times per week. This is significantly greater than those aged between 45 and 65, who saw a 38% reduction in their mortality risk, and the total population, who saw a 27% reduction.
The research indicates that doing 7,500 steps per day on average achieves the bulk of the reduction in common-cause mortality; with additional incremental health improvements beyond this “sweet spot”. On average across all age groups, those who sustain a healthy physical activity habit – physical activity three times per week for more than two years – can add between 2.5 years (for men) and three years (for women) to their life expectancy.
A habit of physical activity lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes and cancer
The research analysed the impact of forming and sustaining a physical activity habit on an individual’s risks of developing type 2 diabetes and severe cancer. It is estimated that 529 million people have diabetes globally, costing billions in treatment costs each year. The Habit Index showed people who sustain a habit of physical activity three days a week for three years can reduce their type 2 diabetes risk by up to 41%.
Similarly, there are major benefits for those with the condition already. A 55-year-old with type 2 diabetes who changes from limited physical activity to sustain a habit of 5,000 steps three times a week, reduces their all-cause mortality risk by 40%.
When it comes to severe cancer, the research also showed promising results among Vitality members who changed their behaviour from being unengaged to sustaining at least medium levels of physical activity to reduce their risk of stage three cancer by 19% and stage four cancer by 36%.
Forming and sustaining a habit of physical activity for three days a week was also associated with a 10% reduction in in-hospital healthcare costs and a 13% reduction when sustaining an average of more than three days of physical activity in a week (regardless of intensity) for two years.
Incentivising and sustaining healthy habits
The frequency and consistency of physical activity, rather than the intensity, that has the most health benefits. Lasting physical activity habits are formed gradually, in laddered increments, starting with a lower target. So, rather than relying on a sudden, intense physical activity routine, the key lies in consistently integrating manageable, low to moderate-intensity activities over time.
Creating robust habits
- Start low and slow – don’t be too ambitious. Individuals who start with low- to moderate-intensity exercise at low frequency are likely to maintain their habit 1.5 times longer than those who start with high-intensity workouts.
- Use “habit laddering” – set a target from your baseline. Set the target based on aims and existing health status, for example, when inactive, starting with 2,500 steps three to five times a week is the “first step on the ladder”.
- Focus on consistency then intensity. Keep up the activity to form the habit and only increase the intensity once the action is repeated for six to eight weeks.
Healthy habits can profoundly extend the quality and length of life. Our data shows the impact is not only significant but applies across ages, risk factors, and health statuses – maintaining a small amount of physical activity has lasting health impacts. Given the role of behaviour in health risk globally, a better understanding of the mechanisms of habits can be a powerful way to improve individual health – and to evolve our healthcare systems to prioritise preventive health.
What is encouraging is the ability to immediately act on the research’s findings that forming even the smallest healthy habit at any age can be life-changing. For example, a 65-year-old can reduce their mortality rate by over 50% just by walking 7,500 steps three or more times a week.
Successful habit-based interventions can lengthen life expectancy, entail considerable savings for public health services, improve productivity, and help address the significant long-term challenges posed by mental health, social isolation, and non-communicable diseases such as cancer and type 2 diabetes.