6,000 steps a day keeps the doctor away

TO halt the mid-life spread, all one needs to do is walk 6,000 steps a day.

It normally takes 1.5 steps to cover one meter, therefore 15 steps would cover 10m and 1,500 steps 1km; so 6,000 steps could be achieved by walking around 4km.

Not only will this help weight loss and that dreaded spare tyre, but at least that number of steps can lower the risk of conditions associated with menopause, including diabetes and metabolic syndrome.

More than 290 women aged between 45 and 72 in Passo Fundo, Brazil recorded their daily steps and given health checks by researchers. Those that recorded 6,000 steps per day on their pedometers were considered active and those that took fewer inactive.