Daily strides may mean longer life for older women

Older women who get in enough steps each day to walk the equivalent of about two miles – far less than the five-mile goal set by many Americans – might still live longer than their less active counterparts, a U.S. study suggests.

Many people trying to achieve a healthy weight and stay in shape set a daily goal of 10,000 steps, or about five miles, often because they use a fitness tracker with that target, researchers write in JAMA Internal Medicine.

But there isn’t solid evidence that this goal is right for everyone, and it’s also unclear how much intensity or speed matter when counting the health benefits of every step, the authors note.

For the current study, researchers had almost 17,000 women in their early 70s wear accelerometers for at least four days to track their total daily steps and the intensity of their movements. Overall, participants logged an average of 5,499 daily steps, or roughly 2.5 miles.

During an average follow-up period of 4.3 years, 504 women died. Compared to women who logged no more than 2,718 steps daily, women who achieved at least 4,363 daily steps were 41 percent less likely to die.

“Even a modest amount of steps is associated with lower mortality,” said lead study author Dr. I-Min Lee of Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

“More steps taken per day were associated with even lower mortality rates until about 7,500 steps/day, beyond which no further declines were observed,” Lee said by email. “The rate of stepping did not matter in these older women; it was the number of steps that mattered.”

Data from the accelerometers showed that women achieved an average peak 1-minute step intensity of 92 steps per minute, and an average peak 30-minute intensity of 58 steps per minute. A 2.5 mile per hour walking pace is approximately 100 steps per minute.

While intensity did initially seem to be associated with lower mortality risk, this connection disappeared once researchers also accounted for the total number of daily steps women logged. This suggests that step volume, rather than intensity, may be more important for longevity among older women.

At the start of the study, women were 72 years old on average.

While they were wearing accelerometers, the women spent 51 percent of their time taking no steps at all, and another 46 percent of the time moving at a pace of no more than 39 steps per minute.

Women spent just 3 percent of their time moving at a pace of at least 40 steps per minute, a speed that suggests more purposeful effort.

The study wasn’t a controlled experiment designed to prove whether or how the number or intensity of daily steps might directly impact the women’s risk of death. It also cannot say if healthier women were more likely than less-healthy peers to be active, which could explain some of the association between higher step counts and lower mortality.

One limitation of the study is that researchers only measured women’s movements once, at the start of the study period, and it’s possible their habits changed over time.

Still, the results are “good news for older adults who may have difficulty walking at faster paces,” said Keith Diaz, a researcher at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City who wasn’t involved in the study.

“Any walking is better than nothing,” Diaz said by email. “With even small amounts of walking, your risk of death will be sharply reduced.”

“For those who have difficulty walking, other research shows that any form of aerobic activity provides health benefits,” Diaz added. “Swimming, bicycling, arm cranking or any form of activity that is continuous in nature will provide health benefits.”

SOURCE: bit.ly/2YVIWOp JAMA Internal Medicine, online May 29, 2019.

Older women who get in enough steps each day to walk the equivalent of about two miles - far less than the five-mile goal set . . .

Follow Us On Google News | Get Our Newsletter



Trending News on PVDN

  • Where do foreigners come from and where do they live in MexicoMexico City Protest on July 5 Challenges Gentrification and Airbnb’s Impact on Housing Residents of Roma and Condesa will gather at Parque México on July 5 to protest gentrification, rising rents, and Airbnb’s effect on local housing. This Saturday, July 5, Mexico City will witness its first organized citizen protest against gentrification—a peaceful but urgent gathering taking place at 3:30 p.m. at the Lindbergh Forum in Parque México,…
  • raw-sewage-playa-los-muertos-puerto-vallartaMore Raw Sewage Dumping at Playa Los Muertos Appear to Come From Local Hotel Business owners in Puerto Vallarta are demanding action after raw sewage was discovered leaking onto Playa Los Muertos, raising public health and tourism concerns. A raw sewage leak at Playa Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta has sparked outrage among local tourist service providers and business owners, who say the contamination is driving away visitors and…
  • puerto-vallarta-rainfall-hurricane-flossie-july-2025Puerto Vallarta braces for torrential rains as Hurricane Flossie gains strength Puerto Vallarta faces a high risk of flooding as Hurricane Flossie intensifies in the Pacific. Torrential rains and overwhelmed drainage systems pose major challenges for the city. Puerto Vallarta, a city wedged between the Sierra Madre mountains and the Pacific Ocean, is no stranger to dramatic weather shifts—but this summer, the skies are testing the…
  • puerto vallarta lettersPuerto Vallarta needs a new image to create meaningful reasons for travelers to visit Business leaders at Jalisco Tourism Secretariat forums stressed the need for renewing Puerto Vallarta image and diversifying attractions to appeal to national and international markets. Local business leaders and tourism specialists agreed this week that Puerto Vallarta needs a fresh look and a broader range of attractions to compete at home and abroad. In a…
  • José Luis Velázquez RodríguezSEAPAL Official Reported Missing in Puerto Vallarta Authorities in Puerto Vallarta have launched a search for José Luis Velázquez Rodríguez, SEAPAL's head of transparency, who has been missing since June 30. Family and officials are urging the public to report any information. Local authorities and civil protection units have launched a search operation for José Luis Velázquez Rodríguez, head of the Transparency…
  • mexico city real estateGentrification in Mexico City is not the reason for the high cost of housing City housing shortage, not gentrification, drives prices skyward as planning lags behind demand and foreigner influence remains minimal. High real estate costs in Mexico City stem from a deep and persistent housing shortage—exacerbated by land constraints, tangled regulations and speculative investment—rather than by the presence of foreign residents. Despite headlines blaming “gentrification,” foreign-born residents make…
  • no-damage-jalisco-hurricane-flossieNo Damage Reported in Jalisco as Hurricane Flossie Moves Away While Mexico's Weather Service predicted heavy rains, Hurricane Flossie causes no damage along Jalisco’s coast. The Category 3 storm brings light rain and moderate waves as it moves away from the region. The coasts of Jalisco remain calm and largely unaffected following the passage of Hurricane Flossie, a powerful Category 3 storm that is now…
  • hurricane-flossie-strengthens-july-1-2025Hurricane Flossie will bring tropical storm conditions to parts of Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima, and Jalisco Hurricane Flossie intensifies off Mexico's Pacific coast with winds near 90 mph. Heavy rain, flooding, and tropical storm conditions expected in parts of Guerrero, Michoacán, Colima, and Jalisco. Hurricane Flossie continued to intensify early Tuesday morning as it moved west-northwestward off the coast of southwestern Mexico, prompting tropical storm warnings and watches across multiple states.…
  • protestProtest graffiti and smashed windows mars anti-gentrification rally in Mexico City Residents and activists joined an anti-gentrification rally in Mexico Park, but the anti-gentrification rally Mexico Park turned destructive as masked youths defaced local shops and broke windows. A rally against gentrification held yesterday in Mexico City’s Parque México drew residents from Juárez, Roma, Condesa and Hipódromo alongside local activists. Organizers billed it as the city’s…
  • cancun-sargassum-environmental-fund-responseWhich Quintana Roo Beaches Clean From Sargassum and Those Covered Today July 4 2025 Daily sargassum tracking for July 4, 2025: see which Quintana Roo beaches are clear of sargassum and which have landings, with ongoing cleanup efforts keeping the coast visitor-ready. Welcome to the daily sargassum tracker for the Mexican Caribbean coast. Each morning, we tally which beaches in Quintana Roo remain free of sargassum and which have…
Scroll to Top