Eating a healthy diet equivalent to 4,000 more steps a day, study finds

FILE - Blackberries garnished with green Boston lettuce leaves. (Photo by Roberto Machado Noa/LightRocket via Getty Images) New research suggests that eating a healthy diet emphasizing more foods like fruit, vegetables, and whole grains can be as good as taking an additional 4,000 steps a day – and particularly for middle-aged adults.A person’s cardiorespiratory fitness refers to the body’s ability to provide and use oxygen for exercise, involving the heart, lungs, blood vessels and muscles.

Research has shown that it’s one of the most powerful predictors of longevity and health, and getting regular physical activity can improve one’s endurance.But among people who exercise the same amount, there are still differences in fitness – suggesting there are additional factors that contribute.

Eating a nutritious diet is linked to countless health benefits, but according to the study team, it’s been unclear whether it’s also related to fitness."This study provides some of the strongest and most rigorous data thus far to support the connection that better diets may lead to higher fitness," study author Dr.

Michael Mi of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston said in a statement. "The improvement in fitness we observed in participants with better diets was similar to the effect of taking 4,000 more steps each day."RELATED: 11 minute 'brisk' walks every day could reduce early deaths, study findsThe findings of the study, published on April 28 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, suggests that certain dietary habits can lead to better metabolic health and lead to improved fitness and ability to exercise.The study included 2,380 Americans, with an average age of 54 and more than half (54%) being women.