Take 6,000 Steps Daily to Prevent Knee Osteoarthritis: Study
Walking for 6,000 or more steps helps avert knee osteoarthritis, finds a study.
Osteoarthritis (OA) in the knee occurs due to injuries, infections, obesity and remaining physically inactive for longer durations. Seniors suffering from this condition often lead a sedentary lifestyle, which contributes to the development of other chronic health conditions like obesity, heart diseases, strokes, diabetes and permanent loss of mobility.
About 80 percent of patients with OA have difficulty in physical movement and 11 percents of those with knee OA rely on personal care assistance. Researchers from the Sargent College at Boston University in Massachusetts advise people to regularly indulge in simple physical activities like brisk walking to allay the risk factors for OA.
The study observed 1,788 people who were a part of Multicenter Osteoarthritis Study to note the number of steps they walked daily in a week to assess their probability for knee OA. The physical functional score of participants' who could walk for more than 6,000 was above 28 out of 68 as per the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC). These scores measure functional limitations like reduced speed, slow walking and stopping in between. It was found taking another 1,000 steps in a day brought down functional limitation by 16 to 18 percent.
"Walking is an inexpensive activity and despite the common popular goal of walking 10,000 steps per day, our study finds only 6,000 steps are necessary to realize benefits. We encourage those with or at risk of knee OA to walk at least 3,000 or more steps each day, and ultimately progress to 6,000 steps daily to minimize the risk of developing difficulty with mobility," said Daniel White, study author and researcher from Sargent College in a news release.
Health experts repeatedly warn about the long term repercussions of inactivity and unhealthy lifestyle. Previous medical reports hold 70 percent of OA patients walk for less than 90 minutes in a week.
According to the study reports, around 27 million Americans aged 25 and above had OA in 2008. The data by the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests two out of three obese people develop symptomatic knee OA at least once in their lifetime.
More information is available online in the journal Arthritis Care and Research.
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