Getting in Daily Steps can reduce Risk of Diabetes and High Blood Pressure

Researchers say walking daily can reduce our risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, stress and bolster our immune systems.

The standard recommendation for physical fitness is 10,000 steps a day. But even a fraction of that can work.

Researchers found that people who walk between 4,000 and 8,000 steps a day can reduce their risk of death from cancer or heart disease by two-thirds while people who walk more than 12,000 steps per day can lower those risks by nearly 90 percent.

In another study, researchers found that the middle-aged participants who walked the most steps per day over an average of 9 years had a 43 percent lower risk of diabetes and a 31 percent lower risk of high blood pressure.

Researchers also reported that every set of 1,000 steps taken daily over the course of 9 years lowers the risk of obesity by 13 percent in middle-aged women. And those with the highest step count were 61 percent less likely to have obesity, compared to women who walked the least.