THE IDEAL STEP COUNT FOR TOTAL HEALTH

You know walking can help you lose weight, and new research shows it can add up to 11 years to your life. But just how much you need to walk depends on your goals

- LISA MAXBAUER

IT SEEMS LIKE every day there's a new study on the health perks of walking: It boosts mood, wards off dementia, fights diabetes... Now, the latest research in the British Journal of Sports Medicine finds that increasing your daily step count can add up to 11 more years to your life! And if you're inactive now, you have the most to gain.

"Walking is a phenomenal form of exercise and is grossly underestimated," says Lauren Borowski, M.D., a clinical assistant professor of sports medicine at New York University, and the head physician for the United States Men's Ski Jumping Team. But how much walking do you really need to do to get these feel-great perks?

As with anything in our amazingly complex body, the answer involves multiple factors. So we spoke to several health experts on the topic to get more details. While many women walk to lose weight, cardiologist David Sabgir, M.D., founder of WalkWithADoc.org, notes, "Please know that as you increase your steps, you're doing incredible things for your physical, mental and emotional health no matter what the scale says."

Walking also builds muscle and bone density-a factor Melina Jampolis, M.D., host of the podcast Practically Healthy by Dr. Melina, says may be "especially important for those on Ozempic-like drugs who lose muscle and bone."

How much do you need to walk to get healthy?