Forget 10,000 – this is the new step count per day

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In a new study, researchers found that the health benefits of walking start at a number well below 10,000.

Ten thousand steps per day is the goal often touted to keep us fit and healthy. Whether you reach that goal every day depends on many factors: Age, health status and mobility. But getting that step count sometimes proves difficult between taking public transportation, sitting for hours at work and relaxing in front of the TV. However, according to a new study, there’s a new goal.

The results show that as few as 3,967 steps are enough to reduce the risk of dying from any cause. In comparison, a minimum of 2,337 steps reduces the likelihood of becoming a victim of cardiovascular disease. The benefits of walking were most evident in people younger than 60. Among young adults who walked between 7,000 and 13,000 steps daily, the risk of premature death dropped by a remarkable 49 percent. For seniors who walked between 6,000 and 10,000 steps daily, the risk dropped by 42 percent.

“Our study confirms that the more you walk, the better,” says Professor Maciej Banach, the lead researcher and cardiologist at the Medical University of Lodz, Poland. “We found that this is true for both men and women, regardless of age and whether you live in a world’s temperate, subtropical or subpolar region or a region with a mixed climate.”

The sedentary lifestyle of many people is closely associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Research shows that a quarter of the world’s population is inactive. Compared with 23 percent of men, one-third of women are inactive. People from wealthier countries tend to be less physically active: 37 percent do not reach recommended activity levels, compared with only 16 percent in less affluent countries. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), physical inactivity is the fourth leading cause of death worldwide, with about 3.2 million deaths yearly attributable to physical inactivity. Notably, physical activity levels have not recovered since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.