How Many Daily Steps = Better Health?

 

The popular recommendation of taking 10,000 steps per day to maintain optimal health is is so widespread that it is widely accepted as true. The problem is, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim. In fact, the claim that 10,000 steps every day was what you needed to stay in good health is nothing more than an unsubstantiated number invented to market a pedometer. That's right. There is no scientific basis for the claim whatsoever.

Still, there is little doubt that walking does indeed help improve and maintain your good health. Many published studies credit walking with benefits ranging from lowering blood pressure to improving your heart health to maintaining a healthy weight. So how much walking is needed to reap these health benefits? If not 10,000 steps then how many?

In a study published in JAMA Open Network in September of 2021, researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst tracked the daily walking of over 2,000 middle aged people for 15 years. The verdict?

Those who walked an average of 7,000 steps per day had a 50% lower risk if death from any cause compared with those who walked less than 7,000 steps.

Another study published in Lancet Public Health analyzed data on 47,000 people and also found a markedly reduced rate of mortality from any cause among those who regularly averaged 6,000 to 8,000 steps per day.

So it seems like 7,000 makes for a better and more realistic steps-per-day target for most people. Just to give you some calibration, 2,000 steps roughly equates to a walk of about 1 mile.

But wait, there's more!

Research from McGill University in Canada concluded that adding just 1,200 additional steps to your day will decrease your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and overall mortality. The benefits are not as great as for the 7,000 steppers, but they are significant. Those starting from the fewest steps per day will see the greatest benefit.

Walking is free, requires no specialized equipment or training and taking a surprisingly low number of additional daily steps will make you a healthier person.