7,000 is the new 10,000 steps, finds study

IT ALMOST HALVES THE RISK OF DEATH AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE

- HT Correspondent

For decades, fitness trackers and health apps have urged users towards the same daily goal: 10,000 steps. But new research suggests that even taking 7,000 steps a day brought significant reductions in the risk of death and major diseases.

A comprehensive analysis of studies published between January 1, 2014, and February 14, 2025 on Thursday in The Lancet Public Health has found that taking 7,000 steps a day almost halved the risk of death and cardiovascular disease, and significantly reduced the likelihood of developing diseases such as type-2 diabetes, dementia and depression.

The study, which analysed data from 57 studies involving more than 160,000 adults across 35 research cohorts, represents the most extensive examination to date of how daily step counts affect health outcomes beyond just mortality.

The researchers particularly stressed on the less daunting nature of the goal. “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 researchers wrote.

The 10,000-step target has long been accepted as a gold standard for daily activity, appearing on fitness devices and in public health messaging worldwide. But its origins lie not in rigorous scientific research but in a 1960s Japanese marketing campaign.