Copyright deccanchronicle
Whenever someone wants to be fit, the first health aspect they pick on is their daily step count; walking is the easiest thing a person can do to improve their health.Upon hitting 10,000 steps, they post their step count on their WhatsApp statuses, celebrating the little victory that marks the beginning of their fitness journey.However, a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association through Harvard Health Publishing earlier this year reveals, “When it comes to assessing fitness or cardiovascular disease risk, counting steps might not be enough. Combining steps and average heart rate (as measured by a smart device) could be a better way for you to assess fitness and gain insights into your risk for major illnesses like heart attack or diabetes."For five years, researchers monitored the number of daily steps taken and the average daily heart rate of 7,000 people. Dividing their daily heart rate by their daily step count gave them a new metric called daily heart rate per step (DHRPS).The study found that those with a higher DHRPS score were at a significantly higher risk of developing chronic diseases - such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and stroke - whereas those with a lower DHRPS score were healthier and performed better on exercise stress tests.A higher DHRPS score means that the heart is working harder to extract oxygen from blood and support a person's activity level, reflecting their cardiac efficiency and overall fitness. Most people can walk for a minute or two with ease, but struggle to continue walking for longer periods. Since step count is only a quantitative measure, it does not account for the intensity of movement. Thus, including heart rate in fitness assessments is crucial to see a realistic picture of our health levels.The study also noted that even 4,000 to 7,000 steps per day can provide substantial health benefits. More than the number of steps, the intensity and consistency of steps are the key to fitness.But it is also important for readers to note the limitations of Harvard's study. Over 70% of participants were female, over 80% were Caucasian, and other risk factors for chronic disease, such as family history or smoking, were not taken into consideration.Even the findings of the exercise stress test were only based on the results of 21 participants.Nonetheless, walking more and managing heart rate with regular exercise is a proven method for improving health.“Tracking DHRPS or daily activity and other health measures might be a way to improve your health if the results prompt you to make positive changes in behaviour, such as becoming more active," the study concluded.The article has been authored by Tejasree Kallakrinda, an intern at Deccan Chronicle.
