How Many Steps a Day You Actually Need, According to New Research

Good news: You don’t need to hit 10,000 steps a day to improve your health. According to a new study published in The Lancet Public Health, you can experience roughly the same benefits with fewer steps—around 7,000 per day.

Researchers from the University of Sydney reviewed and analyzed long-term studies conducted between 2014 and 2025 that tracked people’s daily steps and various health risks, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, cognitive function, and mental health, as well as overall mortality.

Compared to walking 2,000 steps a day, the study found that walking 7,000 steps lowered the risk of dementia by 38%, type 2 diabetes by 22%, and cardiovascular disease by 25%. Researchers concluded that the incremental improvement beyond 7,000 steps per day was small, but they acknowledged that some figures may be less accurate than others because they were drawn from only a small number of studies.

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The researchers added that even a modest step count can help lower health risks. "For example, 4,000 steps per day compared with 2,000 steps per day was associated with substantial risk reduction, such as a 36% lower risk in all-cause mortality ... the message that every step counts for those who are able should be emphasized as a core public health message, regardless of the specific quantitative target."

According to the study, the goal of 10,000 steps a day is an unofficial target without any clear evidence—it actually started as part of a marketing campaign in Japan. And while that many steps a day can be a good goal for active individuals, the researchers report that 7,000 steps per day "might be a more realistic and achievable target for some."