Can't hit 10,000 steps each day? Researchers find 'more realistic' target

Walking 7,000 steps a day is enough to reduce the risk of developing several chronic diseases, new research has found.

Researchers from the University of Sydney found people who walked 7,000 steps each day had a 25% lower risk of heart disease, a 14% reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, a 38% lower risk of dementia and a 22% reduced risk of depression.

The study analysed the data of tens of thousands of adults around the world, including in the UK.

While the number of steps walked did not appear to impact whether or not a person got cancer, the research found that people who walked more, were less likely to die from the disease.

Each 1000 extra steps per day helped reduce health risks, the study found. / Credit: iStock

“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 authors wrote in the journal Lancet Public Health.

“7,000 steps per day was associated with sizeable risk reductions across most outcomes, compared with the reference of 2,000 steps per day.”

The higher the step count, the more health benefits recorded.

However, the study found even a modest step count of 4,000 had some health benefits, compared to very low levels of activity.

Senior Lecturer in clinical exercise physiology at the University of Portsmouth, Dr Andrew Scott, said 10,000 steps per day was still best for your health.

“More important than the exact number of steps, it demonstrates that overall, more is always better,” he said.

“The steps per day is useful when people’s exercise is weight-bearing, however cycling, swimming and rowing are not well-represented by the steps per day model.”

Brunel University of London’s Dr Daniel Bailey said the findings helped “debunk the myth” that 10,000 steps per day should be the target for optimal health.

“This study suggested that 5,000 to 7,000 steps per day can significantly reduce the risk of many health outcomes, but that does not mean you cannot get benefits if you don’t meet this target,” he said.

“The study also found that health risks were reduced with each 1,000 extra steps per day, up to a maximum of 12,000 steps per day.

“So just adding more steps from your starting point can have important benefits for health.”