New research has found that walking about 2,600 steps a day has significant health benefits, including a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
A new meta-analysis, published last month in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, challenges the widely held belief that you need to walk 10,000 steps a day to see improvement.
“There is no official recommendation for daily steps, but 10,000 steps a day is a step goal that is often adopted by the general public,” said Dr. Thijs Eijsvogels, an associate professor at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands and author of the new study.
These findings may encourage those who previously found it difficult to reach the 10,000-step threshold.
This study shows that even small doses of walking can provide cardiovascular benefits, which can be helpful for those who may be intimidated by physical activity or think they need to do a lot of activity to get a lot of benefits.
Here’s how increasing your steps affect some of the health benefits and how to consider the ideal daily step count.
You May Not Need to Walk 10,000 Steps a Day
The authors of the new paper analyzed the results of 12 previous studies evaluating step count data, all of which were published before October 2022. In total, the studies contained data on 111,309 people.
The authors found that walking 2,517 steps per day was associated with an 8% lower risk of all-cause mortality, while walking 2,735 steps per day was associated with an 11% lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
The health benefits increase to a certain point, but at that point of walking less than 10,000 steps a day.
Walking 8,763 steps per day was associated with a 60% lower risk of all-cause mortality, while walking 7,126 steps per day was associated with a 51% lower risk of cardiovascular disease.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that if you’re used to walking 10,000 steps a day, you should cut back on steps, Eijsvogels explains.
“Steps above the optimal dose threshold do not produce additional health benefits associated with mortality and cardiovascular events, but [they may provide] other benefits, such as improved quality of life, better mental health, etc.,” he said. “There is no reason why even the most active people should not do more.”
Other possible benefits of higher step counts include maintaining muscle mass, improving body composition and improving mobility, Singh said.
The study of the new meta-analysis is based on different populations, which means that the insights drawn by Eijsvogels and the team may be useful to most people. That said, high-risk groups may need additional research to understand how step count affects their health.
“It can be argued that the step targets [outlined in the new report] apply to the general population, but should be further targeted at specific high-risk groups, such as older adults and people with cardiovascular disease.”
Pay Attention to Small Changes in Step Count
If you’re looking to increase your step count but aren’t sure if you’ll be able to achieve your optimal daily step count, it’s important to remember that even a small increase in step count can help.
“Every step counts, especially for people with fewer steps,” Eijsvogels says. “Small changes in daily step count can have significant health benefits.”
Another meta-analysis, published earlier this year in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, found that adding just 1,000 steps per day reduced the risk of all-cause mortality by 15%, while adding 500 steps per day reduced cardiovascular disease risk by 7%.
Singh explains that when counting steps, it can sometimes be helpful to shift attention away from an “all or nothing” attitude, as prioritizing small changes may be more realistic than walking 8,000 steps a day.
“For the average stride, a mile is about the equivalent of 2,000 steps,” she said. “It’s more tangible than someone thinking they need to run five miles to get cardiovascular benefits.”
Singh noted that the new study highlights the importance of doing manageable things, even if it’s not ideal.
“I think the biggest takeaway from this study is not that you should limit your steps to the bare minimum required for health benefits, but the realization that it doesn’t take a lot of time and effort to achieve health benefits,” she said.”
Small tweaks that can help you increase your steps include:
- Take the stairs instead of the elevator
- Parking is far from the destination, so you need to walk a little more
- If you’re taking public transportation, consider getting off early to add a short walk to your commute
- Take short, planned walking breaks throughout the workday
For those looking to increase their step goal over time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends increasing distance gradually, with longer walks only after sticking to them each day.
It may also be helpful to set a slightly higher distance goal at the beginning of each month or week and occasionally change the direction and scenery of your walk to keep it interesting and engaging.
At the end of the day, Singh explains, walking is one of the many ways to stay active, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best form of exercise.
“I tell my patients that exercise is exercise,” Singh said, “and that something is better than nothing.”
