Modest Weekly Steps Lower Mortality in Older US Women

A large prospective study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine followed 13,547 U.S. women (mean age ~71–72) who wore accelerometers for seven days and were tracked for about 11 years. Achieving at least 4,000 steps on one or two days per week was associated with a 26% lower risk of all‑cause death and a 27% lower risk of cardiovascular disease death versus not reaching that threshold. Hitting 4,000 steps on three days was linked to a 40% lower all‑cause mortality risk, while higher daily counts (about 5,000–7,000 steps) produced additional but more modest gains. Participants were free of heart disease and cancer at baseline, and investigators — including researchers from Harvard — said total daily step counts appear more important than how steps are distributed across the week. The authors suggested these findings could inform upcoming physical activity guidelines for older adults.