How Many Steps Per Day Do You Really Need for Health Benefits? The Science-Backed Answer

 Do you need to walk 10,000 steps to see health benefits?

A new meta-study that combined data from 12 separate studies sheds light on the optimal daily step count.

The findings suggest that individuals can feel the benefits of walking by taking at least 2,500 daily steps.

However, a person should walk between 9,000 and 7,000 steps daily to reduce all-cause mortality and cardiovascular risk optimally.

Many studies over the past few decades have sought to address the issue, "How many steps per day should I walk to derive a health benefit?" A recent meta-study that combines the findings of 12 other studies may have found the answer.

Between 2,500 and 2,700 daily steps are where the study starts seeing positive health effects. Roughly 7,000 steps per day is the magic number (exactly 7,126 steps per day) for the most significant protection against cardiovascular disease, and approximately 9,000 steps per day are the magic number for the most significant decrease in the risk of mortality (8,763 steps).

Walking 2,500 steps a day lowered the risk of death from any cause by 8%, whereas walking 2,700 steps a day reduced the risk of cardiovascular events by 11%. Walking at least 9,000 daily steps cuts the risk of premature death in half. Reduces the risk of sudden death in half by walking at least 9,000 steps daily. Every 7,000 steps you take reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease by 51%.

Reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease by 51% by taking every 7,000 steps.

The commonly-referenced target of 10,000 daily steps has been substantially disproven. It was first proposed in 1964 in a magazine ad for a pedometer and had no scientific basis.

The study's authors discovered that, in addition to the health benefits linked with step counts, there are extra benefits connected with walking at intermediate and high speeds.

The 12 studies in the meta-study contained health records for 111,309 participants who wore accelerometers or fitness trackers. The Journal of American Cardiology featured the study.

Advantages to your health in under 10,000 steps

Dr. Thijs M.H. Eijsvogels, the study's senior investigator, remarked, "This is the first study to objectively quantify the minimal and optimal stepping volume for health outcomes."

In addition, Dr. Eijsvogels observed that these step targets did not vary by sex, device type, or wearable location, which adds credence to their reliability and the possibility of using them in future physical activity standards.

Dr. Amanda Paluch, an uninvolved member of the Steps for Health Collaborative and assistant professor of kinesiology at the University of Massachusetts, commented, "This study reiterates what we have seen in our previous work." Move more and sit less. It's not an either/or scenario.

Similarly, uninvolved cardiologist Dr. Cheng Ha-Chen, medical director of Saddleback Medical Center's Structural Heart Program, was delighted with the study since it "gives us lots of [step] goals.

Dr. Paluch recommended that everyone, regardless of their current step count, gradually raise their daily step count.

Taking that many steps per day should be fine. Exceeding 10,000 daily steps has no detrimental effects, as indicated by the lack of evidence in this study! "It just seems like there's diminishing returns at these higher levels," Dr. Paluch said.

Dr. Jayne Morgan, a cardiologist and clinical director of the Covid Task Force at the Piedmont Healthcare Corporation in Atlanta, GA, expressed that individuals can observe a decrease in mortality at up to 8,763 steps and achieve a reduction in cardiovascular risk or incidence at up to 7,126 steps.

"This is almost 1.5 miles less than the often-touted 10,000-step recommendation," Dr. Morgan added.

How important is a stroll?

"In observational studies like this one," Dr. Paluch said, "it is difficult to tease out the association since walking volume and pace are closely related—those who step faster also tend to have more daily steps."

We can't definitively say that people need to walk faster or that walking at any pace is beneficial to their health because there aren't enough studies collecting data on the correlation between stepping tempo and health advantages.

The best advice, according to Dr. Chen, is to "walk at a pace where you can feel your heart rate going up a little bit." A faster tempo is more beneficial than a slower one.

"This is huge, as walking is easily accessible to the vast majority of people, and although faster paces were associated with the greatest reduction in heart disease, lower cadences (slower pace of walking) also showed a decrease in heart disease risk," the authors write.

As Dr. Morgan put it, "The big takeaway is for our aging population."

Dr. Morgan wanted to know, "How does this population remain healthy?" "Walking, literally any amount daily, helps toward the goal of living a healthy lifestyle and reducing cardiovascular risk."

Dr. Chen remarked, "It tells us that we don't need to target 10,000 to get most of the benefit because sometimes it can be discouraging for people to say, 'Oh boy, that sounds like a high number,'"

Dr. Morgan noted that an older adult would be much more likely to complete a walk of 500 steps, or 1.25 miles, than a walk of 10,000 steps, or 5 miles.

Dr. Chen agrees with the study's conclusion that even little daily activity can have positive health effects for seniors.

Dr. Chen's genuine concern revolves around the vulnerability that plagues numerous individuals as they journey through the aging process. His ultimate goal is to safeguard their well-being, ensuring their population remains stable and abundant, ranging from 5,000 to 10,000. "My aspiration," he emphasized, "is to guide them gently from insignificance to prosperity, progressing steadily from 0 to 2,000 and onward to 3,000."

Those who don't already walk a lot are encouraged to "target maybe 10 minutes a day and just turn it into a habit," as he puts it.

Every small gesture of assistance counts! According to Dr. Eijsvogels' findings, incorporating just a slight boost in our daily physical activity can have a beneficial impact on our overall well-being. For instance, taking a brief stroll and adding 1,000 steps daily (roughly 10 minutes of walking) can yield positive health outcomes.

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