How many steps do you need to take a day for better health? A new analysis landed on a number different than the 10,000 daily step recommendation you may have previously heard.
The research, published Wednesday in The Lancet Public Health journal, looked at dozens of past studies published between Jan. 1, 2014, and Feb. 14, 2025. It found that 7,000 steps a day was associated with a 47% lower risk of death, a 38% lower risk of dementia and a 25% lower risk of heart disease, among other health benefits, when compared to people who only had about 2,000 steps a day.
Risk of death from certain diseases also went down, including a 47% lower risk of death from heart disease and a 37% lower risk of death from cancer. The higher number of steps was found to have “a non-significant” 6% lower risk of getting cancer, the authors of the research said.
The step count was also associated with a 14% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, a 22% lower risk of depressive symptoms and a 28% lower risk of falls.
“Although 10,000 steps per day can still be a viable target for those who are more active, 7,000 steps per day is associated with clinically meaningful improvements in health outcomes and might be a more realistic and achievable target for some,” the authors wrote.
If 7,000 steps still seems like a lot, even a more modest step count was associated with lower risk.
For example, 4,000 steps per day compared to 2,000 was associated with substantial risk reduction, including a 36% lower risk in death, according to the analysis.
The bottom line? Walking — at whatever amount you can accomplish in a day — is good for your body and mind.
The research did have some limitations, the authors noted, including a lack of age-specific analysis and a small number of studies available for most specific outcomes.
Still, the authors say they hope the 7,000 step count can serve as a practical public health target with future studies looking closer at age-specific targets.
