What is the ideal daily step count for maintaining good health? The suggestions differ significantly, which makes it difficult to pinpoint a definitive answer.
A global research published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology last year provides more specific recommendations, but with a unique perspective.
The authors emphasize that not only does the number of steps you take daily play a significant role, but your walking speed is equally important. Studies have shown that a quicker walking pace correlates with a lower risk of mortality, independent of how many steps you accumulate each day.
They explain that this is logical since engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity is deemed highly advantageous for heart health. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most adults should aim for 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise weekly or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise.
This research is not the initial investigation to reveal that a quicker walking pace correlates with greater health advantages. A study conducted in the U.K. in 2022 discovered that increasing daily steps, up to approximately 10,000, significantly reduces the likelihood of developing dementia. Additionally, it indicated that brisk walking could further decrease this risk.
A study conducted in Brazil in 2022 revealed that individuals who took more steps each day and walked at a faster speed were less prone to experiencing arterial stiffness.
According to Brazilian researchers, engaging in a brisk walk of approximately 100 steps per minute for 30 minutes each day, five times a week, fulfills the weekly moderate exercise recommendations for older adults. This conclusion is supported by a 2011 global study that confirmed that walking at this rate qualifies as moderate physical activity.
What is the recommended daily number of steps I should take?
In a global research effort conducted in 2023, scientists from the Netherlands, Spain, and the United States analyzed information from 12 different studies that included over 111,000 individuals. Their investigation revealed several key insights:
- Walking 2,500 steps each day notably lowers the risk of mortality by approximately 8%, in contrast to taking just 2,000 steps daily.
- Taking around 2,700 steps each day significantly lowers the risk of experiencing both fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes, by 11% compared to taking only 2,000 steps daily.
- To lower the chances of experiencing both fatal and nonfatal cardiovascular disease incidents, aiming for about 7,000 steps each day is considered ideal, leading to a 51% decrease in risk.
- For individuals aiming to lower their overall mortality risk, approximately 9,000 steps per day is considered the ideal target, leading to a 60% decrease in risk.
- Incorporating an extra 1,000 steps into your daily routine—roughly equivalent to 10 minutes of walking—can lower your risk of mortality, although the extent of this reduction may vary unpredictably.
- Increasing daily step count by 500, equivalent to roughly five minutes of walking, can enhance the health of individuals who are not very active.
Common belief suggests that walking 10,000 steps each day is optimal. This recommendation traces back to the 1960s in Japan, as noted by the study’s authors, although there is no evidence to support this claim.
Other studies have offered similar recommendations, including:
- A study conducted in August 2023 indicates that taking 4,000 steps each day can greatly lower the risk of mortality.
- A study conducted in October 2022 suggests that taking between 8,000 and 9,000 steps each day can lower the likelihood of developing prevalent health issues such as diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), depression, and obesity.
- A study from May 2019 found that taking 4,400 steps each day can lower the risk of mortality by 41% compared to walking just 2,700 steps daily. However, there is no additional significant decrease in risk for those who walk more than 7,500 steps a day.
The pandemic caused a significant drop in foot traffic.
As scientists start to grasp the profound impact of the pandemic on long-term health outcomes for society, new research highlights concerning trends. A study released earlier this year indicates that daily step counts significantly dropped in the initial stages of COVID-19 and have not returned to previous levels.
A study conducted by Vanderbilt University analyzed the daily walking habits of almost 5,500 individuals over a two-year period prior to the pandemic and nearly another two years during it. The findings revealed that participants averaged approximately 700 fewer steps per day post-pandemic, which translates to roughly a third of a mile less walked daily.
Before the pandemic, the average daily step count was approximately 7,808. In contrast, after COVID, that number dropped to about 7,089 steps per day.
Experts from the Mayo Clinic estimate that the typical American takes between 3,000 and 4,000 steps daily, which translates to about 1.5 to 2 miles. Researchers at Vanderbilt define individuals who walk fewer than 5,000 steps each day as sedentary.
Can one walk an excessive number of steps?
The international research team responsible for the article asserts that you can never have too many steps.
According to coauthor Francisco Ortega, a sports science instructor at the University of Granada in Spain, our research indicated that taking up to 16,000 steps daily does not increase health risks. However, he noted in a news release regarding the study that any further reduction in risk becomes minimal after reaching 10,000 steps.
Mayo experts suggest that individuals who are already achieving 10,000 steps daily might want to set a more ambitious step target. Conversely, for those who have not yet reached the 10,000-step mark, it is advised to gradually increase their daily count by 1,000 steps every day over a two-week period before aiming for a higher goal.