A new study has found that people can cut their risk of dementia significantly if they walk as little as 3,800 steps a day.
Researchers used a large-scale source of medical information - from UK Biobank - in order to come to this conclusion.
They linked the step count of more than 78,500 adults between the ages of 40 and 79 and compared their health outcomes over seven years.
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The findings clearly showed that by ensuring you get some walking in each day, to the tune of around 4000 steps, you could reap the benefits of prevention against dementia.
Despite this great news for people who aren’t a fan of getting up and out, the research did indicate that walking around 10,000 steps a day is even more beneficial, according to the Daily Record.
Therefore, walking specifically 9,800 steps a day was associated with an even lower risk of dementia as well as a decreased risk of heart disease, cancer and death.
The speed at which individuals walk was also linked to better health outcomes as scientists reported that walking at a faster pace showed benefits "above and beyond" the number of steps people achieve.
Co-lead author Dr Matthew Ahmadi of the University of Sydney, said: "The take-home message here is that for protective health benefits people could not only ideally aim for 10,000 steps a day but also aim to walk faster.”
Co-lead author Professor Borja del Pozo Cruz from the University of Southern Denmark and the University of Cadiz added: "For less active individuals, our study also demonstrates that as low as 3,800 steps a day can cut the risk of dementia by 25 percent."
Researchers said the studies are observational, meaning they cannot show direct cause and effect, however, they noted "strong and consistent associations" seen across both studies.
"The size and scope of these studies using wrist-worn trackers makes it the most robust evidence to date suggesting that 10,000 steps a day is the sweet spot for health benefits and walking faster is associated with additional benefits,” said Dr Matthew Ahmadi.
"Going forward more research with longer-term use of trackers will shed more light on the health benefits associated with certain levels and intensity of daily stepping."
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