Reaching 10,000 steps a day has long been touted as the optimum goal to reach
The study found that men and women aged 38 to 50 who took approximately 7,000 steps per day experienced a lower chance of early death compared to participants who took fewer than 7,000 steps per day.1 For people who reached 10,000 steps and beyond, there were no documented harms or additional benefits.
“We show that taking at least 7,000 steps per day or greater was associated with a 50 to 70% lower risk of premature death,” Amanda Paluch, PhD, assistant professor in the department of kinesiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the study’s first author, tells Verywell.
Where Did the 10,000 Steps Recommendation Originate?
Epidemiologist I-Min Lee and her colleagues found that in 1965, the Yamasa Clock and Instrument Company in Japan named their new pedometer the Manpo-kei, which means “10,000 steps meter,” as a means to market the new tool. However, that number became the gold standard for exercise without any scientific backing.
The September study was published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
7,000 Steps May Be the Sweet Spot
For the study, researchers used data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, which began in 1985.
Researchers looked at 2,110 participants who wore an ActiGraph 7164 accelerometer—a device to track movement and steps per day—in 2005 or 2006. They wore it on the hip for seven consecutive days during all waking hours except during sleep and water-based activities.1
Accelerometers are typically found in Fitbits and Apple watches, Paluch says.
To balance the sample, participants were recruited by race (Black and White), sex, age, and education from four U.S. locations:
- Chicago, Illinois
- Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Birmingham, Alabama
- Oakland, California
Participants underwent in-person examinations at the start of the study and every few years. They were followed for nearly 11 years after that. The data was then analyzed in 2020 and 2021.1
Researchers found that while 10,000 steps can be a good health goal, adults can still experience significant health benefits from only 7,000 steps per day. In fact, that reduction in mortality rates leveled off at approximately 7,500 steps per day.
In future studies, Paluch hopes to understand how step count impacts cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, mental health, and cancer.
“We’re hoping to pursue other additional outcomes, as well as looking at various age and gender differences,” Paluch says.
Research Shows That Step Counts Matter
The findings of this study are consistent with previous data. Research has shown that more steps were associated with a lower risk of death of all causes. For example, one study found that more steps taken per day among older women were associated with lower mortality until 7,500 steps.2
Additionally, one study found that increased intensity of physical activity, such as high-intensity interval training, decreased all-cause mortality in older adults.3
According to Seema Bonney, MD, a board-certified anti-aging and regenerative medicine doctor based in Philadelphia, step count can have significant effects on other aspects of health.
“We know that step count has significant effects on heart disease, cancer, metabolic syndrome, and even mood.”
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