Walking just 7,000 steps a day may be enough to significantly improve your health and reduce the risk of major diseases—including heart disease, cancer, dementia, and depression—according to a major global study published in The Lancet Public Health.
Rethinking the 10,000-Step Myth
For years, 10,000 steps a day has been promoted as the ideal fitness goal, but researchers say that number originated from a 1960s Japanese marketing campaign—not from science.
“We have this perception that we must hit 10,000 steps daily, but it’s not evidence-based,” said Dr Melody Ding, the study’s lead author.
Instead, researchers found that walking 7,000 steps per day was strongly linked to health improvements—and may be a more realistic target for many people.
Key Health Benefits of 7,000 Steps Daily
Compared to those walking only 2,000 steps per day, walking 7,000 steps was associated with:
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25% lower risk of cardiovascular disease
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6% lower risk of cancer
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38% lower risk of dementia
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22% lower risk of depression
Even walking 4,000 steps daily showed meaningful health benefits over very low activity levels.
Diminishing Returns Beyond 7,000 Steps
The review analyzed data from over 160,000 adults worldwide, concluding that while walking more than 7,000 steps offers additional cardiovascular benefits, the health improvements for most conditions level off beyond that point.
Why Steps Matter
Many fitness apps and trackers still promote the 10,000-step goal. But researchers suggest integrating step count goals into official health guidelines could help more people adopt active lifestyles, especially those who may find time-based exercise targets (like 150 minutes per week) confusing or difficult.
“A daily step goal helps people think about spreading activity across the day,” Dr Ding added.
A Realistic Target for More People
Experts agree that more movement is better, but urge people not to stress about hitting an exact number daily.
“You don’t need 10,000 steps to benefit,” said Dr Daniel Bailey, a sedentary behaviour expert at Brunel University. “For many, 5,000 to 7,000 steps is both realistic and beneficial.”
Dr Andrew Scott from the University of Portsmouth echoed that sentiment:
“The important thing is consistency—doing what you can, when you can.”
