Not enough time to walk 10,000 steps? Here are two alternatives that are just as beneficial, studies say

Walk 10,000 steps per day It’s known to improve a person’s health, but considering it’s the equivalent of walking about five miles, achieving that goal may be difficult for many people.

Now, new research shows a more efficient way to get similar health benefits without spending at least an hour per day walking.

go up the stairs According to Study of over 450,000 adults.

The study, published in the medical journal Atherosclerosis, found that climbing five flights of stairs a day, or about 50 steps, lowers your risk of cardiovascular disease by 20%.

Additionally, the study found similar benefits were seen when climbing in smaller segments throughout the day compared to climbing five flights at once.

“If you choose one flight of stairs, you’re going up two or three times a day,” said Dr. Darien Sutton, an ABC News medical correspondent and emergency medicine physician (who was not involved in the study). ). “If you work in an office, choose a bathroom on another floor.”

Sutton pointed out that climbing stairs not only reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, but also reduces the risk of diabetes and helps improve muscle strength.

Another study published Tuesday British Journal of Sports Medicinereflecting research showing that short-term activity has a positive effect on the body.

The study found that just 20 to 25 minutes of vigorous exercise (such as brisk walking, jogging, or cycling) per day can help you live longer.

Conversely, people who spent most of their day sedentary and spent less than 20 minutes active while lying down or sitting had a 40% increased risk of death, the study found.

“This is just one example of how physical activity is the real key to longevity,” Sutton said of the study, which he was not involved in. “It only takes a few minutes a day to reap the benefits.”

of The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently Adults should do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week. This equates to 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week.

The CDC also recommends that adults do strength-strengthening activities two days a week.

The CDC also notes that adults don’t need to do all of their 30 minutes of exercise each day at once; they can “spread out the activity into smaller periods throughout the week.”

ABC News Medical Unit member Dr. Avish Jain contributed to this report.