You Might Not Need As Many Daily Steps As You Think, Review Argues

• July 24, 2025
• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

Walkers don’t need to march 10,000 steps a day to gain substantial health benefits, a comprehensive new evidence review has concluded.

Instead, getting just 7,000 steps a day appears to be most effective in reducing a person’s risk of death and chronic illness, researchers reported today in The Lancet Public Health.

Results show that anything above 7,000 steps tends to produce diminishing returns, researchers found.

“Therefore, 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,” concluded the research team led by Melody Ding, an associate professor at the University of Sydney School of Public Health.

For the study, researchers pooled data from dozens of prior studies involving more than 160,000 adults, representing what they called the “largest and most comprehensive” review of daily steps and major health outcomes to date.

Results showed that 7,000 steps a day, when compared to 2,000 steps, dramatically improved people’s health, including:

• 47% lower risk of death from any cause

• 25% lower risk of heart disease

• 14% lower risk of type 2 diabetes

• 38% lower risk of dementia

• 22% lower risk of depression

• 28% lower risk of falls

Most benefits tended to plateau beyond 7,000 steps, researchers found.

For instance, overall risk of death fell only 10% more when people got 10,000 steps a day compared to 7,000 steps, researchers found.

Findings also show that more modest step counts also are linked to better health, when compared to very low activity.

“For example, 4,000 steps per day compared with 2,000 steps per day was associated with substantial risk reduction, such as a 36% lower risk in all-cause mortality,” researchers wrote.

“The message that every step counts for those who are able should be emphasized as a core public health message, regardless of the specific quantitative target,” the team added.

More information

The Cleveland Clinic has more on the health benefits of walking.

SOURCE: The Lancet Public Health, July 23, 2025

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