A daily stroll of 7,000 paces contributes positively to your overall well-being.
Walking 7,000 Steps a Day: A New Health Goal for Longevity
A new study published in The Lancet Public Health suggests that walking 7,000 steps a day could be a realistic and effective goal for promoting health benefits, significantly lowering the risk of early death and various chronic diseases.
The meta-analysis, led by Professor Melody Ding of the University of Sydney, analysed data from 57 studies across more than ten countries. The study found that walking 7,000 steps daily:
- Reduces the risk of all-cause mortality by 47% compared to walking only 2,000 steps per day.
- Lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease by about 25%.
- Cuts cancer mortality risk by 37%.
- Decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes, dementia, and depressive symptoms.
- Provides similar health benefits across various outcomes as the previously recommended 10,000 steps per day, making it a more achievable goal for many people.
The study emphasises that even smaller increases in daily steps (for example, from 2,000 to 4,000) yield significant health improvements, marking a shift from aiming for perfection to focusing on progress in daily physical activity.
Walking 7,000 steps a day can significantly reduce the risk of many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and depression. The study also found that those who walked 7,000 steps a day had a 28% lower risk of falls.
It's worth noting that any extra movement beyond 7,000 steps a day is a bonus for health. However, the study's evidence for most associations is moderate, and detailed analyses for specific age groups or comorbidities are still needed, so further research is necessary.
Interestingly, the 10,000-steps recommendation does not have a scientific basis; it originated from a Japanese company marketing a pedometer in the 1960s. Increasing daily step count from 2,000 to 4,000 steps reduces the risk of death by 36%.
In conclusion, consistently walking 7,000 steps daily improves longevity and reduces risks for cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia, depression, and falls, providing a strong, evidence-based target for public health. Step counters or fitness trackers could be useful additions to existing physical activity guidelines, making abstract goals like "move more" more concrete.
[1] Ding, M., et al. (2025). Associations of daily step counts with health outcomes: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of 57 studies with more than 275,000 participants. The Lancet Public Health, 10(7), e607-e618. [2] The Lancet Public Health. (2025, July 23). Associations of daily step counts with health outcomes: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of 57 studies with more than 275,000 participants. Retrieved from https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landig/article/PIIS2468-2667(25)00175-3/fulltext [5] University of Sydney. (2025, July 23). Walking 7,000 steps a day could significantly reduce risk of chronic diseases. Retrieved from https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2025/07/23/walking-7000-steps-a-day-could-significantly-reduce-risk-of-chronic-diseases.html
- A healthy diet that includes proper nutrition is crucial as it is found that walking 7,000 steps daily, alongside a balanced diet, can decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Fitness and exercise, along with walking, play a significant role in maintaining overall health, as the study suggests that walking 7,000 steps a day can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by about 25%.
- Adopting a lifestyle centered around science, health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, and a healthy diet can lead to numerous benefits, such as lowering the risk of early death, chronic diseases, and depression, as observed in the study that recommended walking 7,000 steps a day.
