Rick Hamaya

Women who were in the habit of walking about two miles a few times a week had a 27% lower risk of heart disease compared to inactive peers.

And those who hit this target four times a week reduced the risk of premature death by about 40 percent.

It did not matter if the women took the steps all at once or sporadic steps throughout the day.

Study author Rick Hamaya of Mass General Brigham says people have heard so much about 10,000 steps per day, but among older women, 4,000 was enough.

This fits with prior research that shows more is better, but the benefits of physical activity begin with the first step.

Allison Aubrey, NPR News.

They do not necessarily need 10,000 steps per day for