10,000 steps has long been a standard step goal for general health, but a new comprehensive study suggests Americans may not need to aim that high for a daily step goal.
The study was a meta-analysis of walking studies published since 2014, and they found that walkers did not need to hit the 10,000 threshold in order to achieve many health benefits. While some conditions saw decreased risk when individuals went beyond the 7,000 step tally, oftentimes the health benefits of walking plateaued around the 7,000 step mark.
“Although 10,000 steps per day, an unofficial target for decades without a clear evidence base, was associated with substantially lower risks for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease incidence, cancer mortality, dementia, and depressive symptoms than 7,000 steps per day, the incremental improvement beyond 7,000 steps per day was small, and there was no statistical difference between 7,000 steps per day and a higher step count for all the other outcomes,” the investigators wrote in Lancet Public Health. “Therefore, 7,000 steps per day might be a more realistic and achievable recommendation for some, but 10,000 steps per day can still be a viable target for those who are more active,” they suggested.
Daily Walking Data
Perhaps most notably, researchers analyzed the health risks when comparing someone who walked 2,000 steps per day to someone who hit the 7,000 step threshold. They found that comparatively, the 7,000 step walker had:
- A 47% lower risk of all-cause mortality
- A 25% lower risk of incident cardiovascular disease incidence
- A 47% lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality
- A 6% lower risk of cancer incidence
- A 37% lower risk of cancer mortality
- A 14% lower risk of type 2 diabetes
- A 38% lower risk of dementia
- A 22% lower risk of depressive symptoms
- A 28% lower risk of falls
It’s intriguing to see just how much healthier people who hit that 7,000 step mark are than sedentary individuals who only clock in with about 2,000 steps per day. And while you’ll inevitably get some steps in naturally each day as you go about your business, a good rule of thumb to remember is that a normal-paced walk will have you taking about 1,000 steps every 10 minutes, meaning you’ll want to be walking for about 70 minutes a day to surely hit that 7,000 step threshold. Find time throughout the day to improve your step count and significantly reduce your risk of developing a number of debilitating health conditions.
And if your feet or ankles ever begin to hurt during or after one of these walks, be sure to reach out to a professional. In the greater Roswell area, we hope you’ll connect with Dr. Silverman by filling out this contact form.