Walking about 8,000 steps, or about 6.4 km, once or twice a week significantly reduces the risk of premature death, according to a study published on Tuesday.

Although regular physical activity is known to reduce the risk of death, a study published in the journal JAMA Network Open looked at the health benefits of vigorous walking only a few days a week.

Researchers from Kyoto University and the University of California, Los Angeles analyzed data on 3,101 American adults.

They found that those who walked 8,000 steps or more once or twice a week had a 14.9% lower risk of death within 10 years than those who did not reach that level.

For those who took these long walks three to seven times a week, the risk of death dropped even more, by 16.5 percent.

The health benefits of walking 8,000 steps or more once or twice a week were even greater for people age 65 and older.

“The number of days per week when someone walked 8,000 steps or more was associated (in the study) with a lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease and death from all causes,” the researchers said.

“This work suggests that people can gain significant health benefits by walking just a few days a week,” they continued.

For the study, researchers analyzed participants’ daily steps from 2005 to 2006, and then looked at their mortality ten years later.

Of the participants, 632 people failed to reach the 8,000 step limit at least one day per week; 532 people met or exceeded it once or twice a week, 1,937 people three to seven times a week.

According to the Mayo Clinic, Americans take an average of 3,000 to 4,000 steps a day, where regular physical activity can reduce the risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and depression.