A daily total of 8,875 steps may support brain health, research indicates

Getting enough steps each day may help preserve brain function and reduce the chance of cognitive decline.

In a recent study, researchers examined whether meeting a daily step goal was associated with better brain health.

They also explored whether taking more steps was tied to lower blood pressure, since high blood pressure has been linked to poorer brain health over time.

Using data from more than 3,000 adults who wore devices to record their daily steps, the researchers found that people who walked more regularly did better on tests of attention, concentration and decision-making.

Each extra 1,000 steps a day was associated with higher cognitive scores, suggesting that even modest increases in daily movement may benefit the brain.

Participants who averaged 8,875 steps a day also outperformed those who averaged 5,000 steps on several measures of brain function.

Their results were roughly on par with people who logged more than 10,000 steps a day, a target often promoted for overall health.

Researchers said walking may support the brain because physical activity increases blood flow, helping deliver oxygen and nutrients that aid cognitive function.

The study, published in Scientific Reports, analyzed health data from 3,093 participants ranging in age from 18 to 93.

Before the analysis, the researchers reviewed medical records to assess participants' blood pressure.

Participants used Fitbits and similar devices to track their daily steps over a 14-year span.

At the end of that period, they were grouped by average daily step count into low activity, moderate activity and high activity categories.

They then completed computerized tests covering four core cognitive skills.

These included attention, or the ability to stay focused on a task; cognitive control, which helps people ignore distractions and concentrate on relevant information; self-control, or the ability to resist impulses and choose actions with longer-term benefits; and social emotion recognition, the ability to identify emotions in other people.

Overall, the people who accumulated more steps each day performed better on measures of attention, focus and self-control.

Those averaging about 8,875 steps, or roughly 4.5 miles, scored better than participants averaging 5,108 steps a day, or about 2.5 miles.

Both the moderate-activity and high-activity groups did significantly better on cognitive tests than the least active group, indicating the benefits were not limited to those walking around 14,000 steps a day, or about seven miles.

When the researchers examined blood pressure, they found no meaningful differences across the three groups.

The researchers cautioned that although the study showed an association between more walking and better cognitive performance, it does not prove that walking directly caused the improvement.

They noted that other factors not fully accounted for, including diet, sleep and obesity, may also have influenced the findings.