Walking 7,000 steps a day can be enough to boost your brainpower and help protect against a range of different diseases, a major study suggests. It may be a more realistic target than 10,000 steps, which is often seen as the benchmark to reach. The research found that the figure was linked with a reduced risk of serious health issues, including cancer, dementia and heart disease.
The figure of 10,000 steps can be traced back to a 1960s marketing campaign in Japan. The Lancet study analysed previous research and data on the health and activity of more than 160,000 adults around the world. Compared with those who walked 2,000 steps a day, it found that 7,000 steps was linked to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease – down 25%, cancer – down 6%, dementia – down 38%, and depression – down 22%.
However, the researchers say some figures could be less accurate than others as they are drawn from only a small number of studies. Overall, their review suggests even modest step counts of around 4,000 steps a day are linked to better health compared to very low activity of just 2,000 steps a day. For most health conditions, the benefits tended to level off beyond 7,000 steps although there were additional advantages to walking further for the heart.
Most exercise guidelines focus on time spent doing physical activity over step counts. The World Health Organization says adults should do at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity every week. Dr Ding says this advice can sometimes be difficult for people to understand but the current guidelines still serve an important purpose.
Dr Daniel Bailey, a sedentary behaviour and health expert, says the study challenges the “myth” that 10,000 steps a day is necessary. While 10,000 steps is a suitable goal for those who are more active, he says aiming for 5,000 to 7,000 could be a “more realistic and achievable target” for others. Dr Andrew Scott, senior lecturer in clinical exercise physiology, agrees the exact number isn’t important and people shouldn’t worry too much about hitting a specific target, especially on days when activity is limited.
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