7,000 Steps a Day Are Enough for Most Benefits

Published: July 25, 2025

Some age-related diseases are less inversely associated with walking than others.

A massive new meta-analysis confirms that around 7,000 steps seems to be sufficient for most health benefits of walking. Some conditions showed only small improvements with step counts beyond 7,000, while others were more greatly improved with more exercise.

A Step in the Right Direction

The mantra of “10,000 steps a day” is some of the most frequently heard health advice. It is hard to say why this particular number has become the Holy Grail of walking, but recent studies have suggested that there is nothing special about it, and that you can get most of the health benefits (and there are many) by clocking fewer steps (source).

A new review, conducted at the University of Sydney and published in the journal Lancet Public Health, synthesizes data from 57 studies conducted from 2014 to 2025 in over ten countries, including Australia, the US, the UK, and Japan. This makes it the most comprehensive analysis to date on the relationship between daily steps and a wide range of health outcomes.

The Sweet Spot

For many outcomes, including all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, cardiovascular disease incidence, dementia, and falls, the researchers found an inverse non-linear association, with inflection points at around 5,000–7,000 steps per day. This means that after reaching this threshold, the “return on investment” was diminished. Interestingly, after the plateau at around 7,000 steps a day, all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality risks experienced another dip towards 12,000 steps.

However, several outcomes showed a linear reduction in risk as step counts increased, without a noticeable plateau. Those included cancer incidence, type 2 diabetes incidence, and the risk of depressive symptoms, with the latter relationship being particularly strong, suggesting that long walks are beneficial for mental health.

The authors emphasize that even moving from 2,000 to 4,000 steps a day is linked to substantial health benefits, including a 36% lower risk of all-cause mortality.

“Aiming for 7,000 steps is a realistic goal based on our findings, which assessed health outcomes in a range of areas that hadn’t been looked at before,” said Professor Melody Ding, the lead author of the study. “However, for those who cannot yet reach 7,000 steps a day, even small increases in step counts can lead to significant health gain.”

An Achievable Goal

Populational studies are notoriously noisy and cannot definitively prove causality. Combining data from several studies can present its challenges; however, researchers aimed to account for potential confounding factors like reverse causality. This study is important because 7,000 steps a day is a more achievable goal than 10,000. It suggests that significant health improvements can occur even with fewer than the commonly recommended daily steps.

“Our research helps to shift the focus from perfection to progress,” says Professor Ding. “Even small increases in daily movement can lead to meaningful health improvements.”

Literature

1. Ding, D., Nguyen, B., Nau, T., Luo, M., del Pozo Cruz, B., Dempsey, P. C., … Owen, K. (n.d.). Daily steps and health outcomes in adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. The Lancet Public Health.
2. Stamatakis, E., et al. (2023). Journey of a thousand miles: from ‘Manpo-Kei’ to the first steps-based physical activity recommendations. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 57(19), 1227-1228.
3. Paluch, A. E., et al. (2022). Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. The Lancet Public Health, 7(3), e219-e228.