Step your way to longer life: The 10,000 steps secret

SHAH ALAM - Walking, whether at a leisurely or brisk pace, up to 10,000 steps a day can boost metabolism, support mental health and lower the risk of early death.

Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Public Health Medicine Specialist Associate Professor Dr Aidalina Mahmud said an unhealthy lifestyle leads to lack of cardiovascular activities among people.

She added that walking for 10 to 15 minutes daily can burn more calories and increase productivity.

"There are two types of walking for health which are leisurely walking and brisk walking. Leisurely walking is great for mental health, while brisk walking helps burn fat and reduce weight.

"This activity should become a culture because Malaysians are less inclined to engage in physical activities.

"For example, when going to the supermarket, we prefer to park close to the main entrance rather than walking a distance," she told Sinar.

Last year, a study published in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology found that walking at least 3,967 steps a day would start to lower the risk of death from any cause and 2,337 steps a day reduces the risk of death from heart and blood vessel diseases.

The study, considered the largest involving an analysis of 226,889 people from 17 different studies worldwide, showed that the more you walk, the greater the health benefits, including reducing the risk of early death or living longer compared to those who walk less frequently.

Commenting further, Aidalina stressed that one of the factors causing Malaysians to walk less is the extremely hot weather and user-unfriendly pedestrian areas.

"In such conditions, perhaps we can start the culture of walking on a smaller scale, such as in shopping malls and indoor places.

"We can start with small steps like walking to the mosque or the nearby shop," she said.