Though the popular recommendation has often been to aim for 10,000 steps daily, recent studies indicate that achieving just 7,000 steps can still significantly enhance important health indicators.
A research team from the University of Sydney reviewed 57 studies spanning over ten countries to analyze the step counts of participants and their health results.
Led by Professor Melody Ding from the School of Public Health, the study looked into how daily walking impacts the risks of heart disease, cancer-related deaths, and the likelihood of developing conditions such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and depression, as outlined in a university press announcement.
Interestingly, it seems you might not need as many steps as previously thought.
The findings show that daily walks of at least 7,000 steps are linked to improved health outcomes in eight major areas, including heart health, dementia, and depressive symptoms.
“Increasing daily steps can yield health benefits compared to very low activity levels, even something like 4,000 steps can help,” Ding mentioned.
She continued, “Ideally, if you can reach around 7,000 steps each day, it can greatly lower your risk for many chronic conditions.”
Moreover, even a small boost in daily steps, like moving from 2,000 to 4,000 steps, is tied to notable health improvements.
Although walking more than 7,000 steps might provide additional benefits, Ding noted that the rate of improvement becomes more gradual.
Details of the research were shared in the Lancet Public Health Journal.
Specifically, the research indicated that reaching 7,000 steps daily can decrease the risk of mortality by about 47%, comparable to the effects seen with 10,000 steps.
This same daily step target was also associated with a 38% reduced risk of developing dementia and a 22% drop in the chance of type 2 diabetes.
Participants reported “major health improvements” when they increased their step counts from 2,000 to between 5,000 and 7,000 daily.
“Setting a goal of 7,000 steps is quite realistic, according to our findings,” Professor Ding stated in the announcement. She added that even if someone can’t reach 7,000, an increase to 4,000 from 2,000 can still lead to significant health benefits.
If you’re someone who already regularly surpasses 10,000 steps, Ding advises maintaining that routine without any need to scale back.
However, the researchers acknowledged that the study does have some limitations.
For example, Ding pointed out, “There are limited studies on some health outcomes.” She also noted some potential biases in the data.
“If someone is already feeling unwell, their step counts may naturally decline,” she said.
While they acknowledged that responses to step counts may vary in older adults, they remarked that the available data didn’t allow for an in-depth exploration of all potential outcomes.
Importantly, while walking is beneficial, it doesn’t encompass all necessary health activities.
“Daily movements matter. It could be as simple as getting off the bus a stop early or taking the stairs instead of the elevator,” Ding elaborated.
To achieve comprehensive health improvements, she recommended including strength and mobility exercises in one’s weekly regimen.
Looking ahead, the researchers aim to use these results to inform future recommendations regarding physical activity.
