The 10,000 steps myth: Why 7,000 might be your new health target
A new study published by the Lancet Public Health shows that walking about 7, 000 steps every day is enough to offer better health outcomes.
What you need to know:
- A new study found that walking 7,000 steps daily provides significant health benefits, reducing death risk by 47 per cent.
- The findings suggest the widely-promoted 10,000 steps per day had no clear scientific backing.
It's 9pm, and you're pacing around your living room, smartphone in hand, desperately trying to hit that magic number flashing on your screen—10,000 steps. Sound familiar? If you've been part of Kenya's recent fitness craze, you know the drill all too well.
Just months ago, a pervasive fitness phenomenon swept across the country, with the "10,000 steps a day" challenge echoing from fitness trackers to social media feeds. This daily challenge went beyond a simple competition to see who had the most steps—it became a subtle resolution to maintain a healthier life.
But here's the plot twist that might just change your evening pacing routine: What if that golden number of 10,000 isn't actually the gold standard we've been chasing?
The science behind your step counter
A ground-breaking study published in The Lancet Public Health on July 23, is turning our step-counting world upside down. The research reveals that walking about 7,000 steps every day is enough to deliver significant health benefits—and the difference between 7,000 and 10,000 steps? Not as dramatic as you might think.
The study demonstrates that walking a certain number of steps could help reduce the chances of death, heart disease, cancer, falls, and mental health issues. But here's what makes this research particularly compelling: it's not just about living longer anymore.
"We know daily step count is linked to living longer, but we now also have evidence that walking at least 7,000 steps a day can significantly improve eight major health outcomes—including reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia and depressive symptoms," explained Prof Melody Ding, the study's lead author, in a press statement.
From perfection to progress
Prof Ding's team has essentially given us permission to breathe a little easier about our daily step goals.
"Our research helps to shift the focus from perfection to progress. Even small increases in daily movement can lead to meaningful health improvements," he added.
The researchers now recommend that this 7,000-step number should be considered a practical metric for physical activity guidelines—a refreshing departure from the somewhat arbitrary 10,000-step target that has dominated fitness conversations for years.
The University of Sydney researchers didn't just make these recommendations lightly. They analysed 57 studies involving over 160,000 participants who tracked their steps using devices worn on their wrist, hip, or waist. The results were eye-opening: walking 7,000 steps a day could reduce the chances of dying by 47 per cent.
Perhaps most surprisingly, this benefit didn't differ largely from the much-touted 10,000 steps.
The study revealed that "health risks generally continued to decrease with every 1,000 steps per day increment across most outcomes, up to the highest analysable category of 12,000 steps per day. The risk of death continues to decrease as steps per day increases, with an inflection point at 5,391 steps per day."
The 10,000-step myth
For years, 10,000 steps per day has served as an unofficial target for fitness goals, appearing on everything from smartwatch defaults to workplace wellness programs. But here's the kicker: the researchers found no clear scientific evidence to back up its specific benefit to public health.
Instead, they discovered that walking 7,000 steps a day—or any number higher than that—could be enough to lower the risks of all the health outcomes they studied, including death.
"7,000 steps per day might be a more realistic and achievable recommendation for some, but 10,000 steps per day can still be a viable target for those who are more active. Importantly, even a modest step count was associated with lower risk," the scientists noted.
This research doesn't mean you should abandon your fitness tracker or stop challenging yourself. Rather, it offers a more inclusive and achievable approach to daily movement. Whether you're just starting your fitness journey or you're someone who regularly exceeds 10,000 steps, there's good news in these findings.
The scientists acknowledge they don't yet have a clear understanding of whether different step targets should be recommended for younger and older adults—an area ripe for future research.
"Our findings provide important empirical evidence to inform physical activity guidelines, enhance population surveillance, and establish initial public health benchmarks for daily steps. Steps per day might be a viable supplementary metric for public health recommendations and surveillance, and can capture structured and incidental physical activity across the intensity spectrum throughout the day," the scientists recommend.
However, they are careful to note the limitations of step counting. While step counts are valuable, they don't accurately capture some forms of physical activity like cycling or rowing. They might also be less relevant for some populations, such as those with mobility limitations.
