Step counts: Aim for at least 2,600 a day and 8,000 if you can.

Adapted from BMJ Oct 14 2023

Advice about step counts are easy to understand and can be measured with smart watches or keeping your phone in your pocket.

A meta-analysis has concluded that even 2,600 steps will improve cardiovascular and total mortality.

Increasing this further increases the benefits till gains flatten out at 8,000 steps a day. Walking faster was better than walking slower.

A UK Biobank study showed that increasing physical activity protected against neuropathy and nephropathy in people with type two diabetes. Unfortunately retinopathy was not affected.

They found that walking for an hour and a half each week lowered neuropathy and nephropathy by between 20-30%.