What is the Optimal Number of Daily Steps for Your Health?
A groundbreaking international study published in the renowned Journal of the American College of Cardiology provides definitive advice on the number of steps you should strive for each day.
According to the study, the quantity of steps you take matters, but so does your pace. Regardless of the total number of steps, walking at a faster pace is associated with a reduced risk of death.
The reasoning behind this finding is that moderate-to-vigorous exercise has the most significant impact on cardiovascular health. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity each week for most adults.
Interestingly, previous studies have also found a positive correlation between walking speed, steps per day, and health benefits. For example, a 2022 study from the UK found that taking more steps, up to around 10,000, can lower the risk of dementia, with faster walking pace contributing to the reduction in risk.
Similarly, a 2022 study from Brazil discovered that a higher number of daily steps and a quicker pace were linked to a lower likelihood of arterial stiffness.
According to Brazilian researchers, older adults can achieve the recommended 30 minutes of moderate exercise by walking at a pace of around 100 steps per minute, five days a week. This aligns with a 2011 international study that defined 100 steps per minute as moderate physical activity.
Determining the Optimal Number of Daily Steps
In the recent international study, researchers from the Netherlands, Spain, and the U.S. analyzed data from 12 studies involving over 111,000 participants. Here are their key findings:
- 2,500 daily steps significantly reduced the risk of death by 8% compared to 2,000 daily steps.
- 2,700 daily steps significantly reduced the risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events (such as heart attack and stroke) by 11% compared to 2,000 daily steps.
- 7,000 daily steps is the approximate optimum for reducing the risk of fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events by 51%.
- 9,000 daily steps is the approximate optimum for lowering the risk of death from any cause by 60%.
- Adding 1,000 extra daily steps (or about 10 minutes of walking) reduces the risk of death to some extent, although not in predictable intervals.
- Increasing your daily steps by 500 (or about five minutes of walking) improves the health of those with low levels of physical activity.
While the popular belief suggests that 10,000 steps per day is ideal, the origin of this target can be traced back to Japan in the 1960s without any supporting data.
Other studies echo similar recommendations:
- An August 2023 study found that 4,000 daily steps significantly reduce the chance of death.
- An October 2022 study suggested that 8,000 to 9,000 daily steps reduce the risk of common diseases like diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, GERD, depression, and obesity.
- A May 2019 study indicated that 4,400 daily steps reduced the risk of death by 41% compared to 2,700 steps per day, with no significant risk reduction observed beyond 7,500 steps.
The Pandemic’s Impact on Daily Steps
Researchers are also examining the long-lasting health effects of the pandemic. A study published earlier this year revealed a significant decline in daily steps during the early days of COVID-19, a trend that has not fully recovered.
Vanderbilt University researchers analyzed daily step patterns for nearly 5,500 people before and during the pandemic. On average, participants took about 700 fewer steps per day after the pandemic—a difference of approximately one-third of a mile.
Prior to the pandemic, individuals averaged around 7,808 steps per day. During COVID-19, the average dropped to around 7,089 steps.
According to experts at the Mayo Clinic, the average American walks between 3,000 to 4,000 steps per day, equivalent to approximately 1.5 to 2 miles. Individuals who take less than 5,000 steps per day are considered sedentary, as suggested by Vanderbilt researchers.
Is there such a thing as too many steps?
According to the international research team behind the recent study, there is no such thing as too many steps. Coauthor Francisco Ortega, a sports science instructor at the University of Granada in Spain, stated, “Our study showed that even as many as 16,000 steps a day does not pose a risk.” However, the additional risk reduction becomes marginal beyond 10,000 steps.
For individuals who are comfortably achieving 10,000 steps a day, experts at the Mayo Clinic recommend setting higher daily step goals. For those who haven’t reached 10,000 steps, they suggest gradually increasing their daily goal by adding 1,000 extra steps each day for two weeks before raising the goal again.
How to Incorporate More Steps into Your Day
If you want to add more steps to your daily routine, here are a few easy suggestions from the America on the Move Foundation:
- Walk to get the mail and take an extra lap around the block.
- Engage in an after-dinner walk while discussing your day with loved ones.
- Take an energizing stroll before your morning commute.
- Start a walking club at your workplace.
- Volunteer to walk dogs at an animal shelter.
- Opt for the stairs instead of escalators or elevators.
- Get off the bus a couple of stops early
