Does viral TikTok step challenge actually help your heart?

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A step challenge is gaining a following on TikTok with more than 1.2 million views. It's called the "50 Mile a Month Challenge."

It encourages people to take at least 3,500 steps four days a week.

On Action News Live at Three, Anchor Vanessa Vasconcelos spoke with cardiologist and Bayer partner Dr. Danielle Belardo about the most important factors to focus on when walking for your health.

She said that while the number of steps matters, so does your pace. Walking faster is associated with a reduced risk of death, and that's regardless of the number of steps taken per day. So moderate to vigorous exercise is considered to be the most beneficial when it comes to cardiovascular and heart health.

When it comes to heart health, she said that prevention is key and recommends people take a quick 3-minute assessment at checkyourheartrisks.com created by Beyer, and then you can use this assessment to talk to your doctor or healthcare provider about your heart health. This assessment helps you evaluate your history of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, weight, and diabetes and helps you start that conversation with your doctor to get you engaged in optimizing your heart health.

Dr. Belardo wants to remind everyone that heart disease is the number one cause of death for Americans, both men and women, in the United States.