For years, 10,000 steps a day has served as a shorthand for good health. But new research, published in The Lancet Public Health, suggests the real threshold for measurable benefit may be significantly lower and more attainable.
An international team of researchers analysed data from over 226,000 people across 17 studies worldwide. Their findings indicate that walking around 7,000 steps per day is associated with a lower risk of premature death. The benefits begin well before the 10,000 mark and taper off after around 9,000 to 10,000 steps, particularly in older age groups.
The data also shows that consistency may matter more than intensity. Most of the participants were walking at a casual to moderate pace, reinforcing the idea that prolonged, daily activity, rather than vigorous bursts, may yield more sustainable long-term benefits.
The "10,000 step" goal originated from a Japanese marketing campaign in the 1960s rather than any specific scientific evidence. Since then, it has become a universal proxy for fitness. But as this new meta-analysis shows, evidence-based thresholds provide a more realistic and data-backed view of movement and longevity.
This doesn’t mean walking more than 10,000 steps is harmful; only that the steep curve of benefit plateaus earlier than commonly assumed.
Crucially, this study is one of the most globally representative of its kind. Earlier step-count research skewed heavily toward high-income, Western populations. By contrast, this meta-analysis included participants from 15 countries across varying income levels, health systems, and cultural norms. That diversity strengthens the generalisability of its findings and underscores its global relevance.
The researchers found little difference between men and women in terms of benefit, and the positive effects of walking were consistent across geographic and ethnic groups. It’s a rare case of a simple intervention with truly broad application.
In professional circles, physical activity is often treated as binary: intense training or nothing at all. But research continues to reinforce the compounding effect of consistent, moderate movement.
Walking 7,000 steps each day builds biological resilience, supporting long-term healthspan over short-term performance.This new benchmark offers a more achievable and evidence-backed goal that supports energy, cognition, and well-being over time, without becoming another item on an already full agenda.
Source:
