How many steps should you really walk each day for better health?

The magic number might be smaller than we thought. For years, 10,000 steps a day was treated like a golden rule. But a new review suggests the real sweet spot could be just 7,000 and the health payoffs are impressive.

Dr. Melody Ding, a professor of public health at the University of Sydney and lead author of the study, said, “When possible, aiming for 7,000 steps a day is a good objective.”


The findings, published Wednesday in The Lancet Public Health, pulled data from 57 studies. It analyses how step counts affect a range of health outcomes, from cardiovascular issues and cancer to mental health and early mortality.

Compared with people walking only 2,000 steps daily, a threshold researchers deemed the bare minimum, those who walked 7,000 steps were 47 percent less likely to die early from any cause. They also had a 25 percent lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease and a 38 percent drop in dementia risk.

The unexpected perks of walking

The benefits of simply walking more stretch well beyond what many realize. Research has shown that walking improves how the body handles metabolic health. It strengthens the heart, lowers blood pressure and reduces harmful markers like cholesterol, body weight, and blood sugar.


What makes this latest review stand out is its wider lens. Beyond heart health and mortality, researchers also found strong associations between walking 7,000 steps and lower risks of Type 2 diabetes, cancer death and depressive symptoms, compared with sedentary individuals taking only 2,000 steps.

One of the most eye-opening revelations? A nearly 40 percent decrease in dementia risk. While causation hasn’t been proven yet the connection is undeniable.

The power of small gains

So where did the 10,000 number even come from? It turns out, it was never rooted in science.

“We don’t have any evidence for 10,000 steps,” Dr. Ding clarified. “It’s just a really big random number that people throw out there.”


According to The Lancet Public Health review, walking more than 7,000 steps didn’t show substantial gains in reducing the risk of falls, cancer or Type 2 diabetes when compared to 10,000. The differences in outcomes for dementia and mortality were present but modest.

Dr. Ding likened it to juicing an orange. The first squeezes yield the most juice, or in this case, benefits. Walking from 2,000 to 4,000 steps reduced death risk by 36 percent. Going from 4,000 to 7,000 added another 17 percent drop. After that, the returns begin to flatten.

There’s a caveat: This is correlation, not proof of cause. People who walk more also tend to live healthier overall, they may be more active, eat better, or be less frail to begin with.