Questioning daily step count: Is there a need for concern if not hitting the 10,000-step mark?
New Study Challenges 10,000-Step Goal for Daily Walking
A new study led by Dr. I-Min Lee at the Harvard Medical School has challenged the commonly held belief that 10,000 steps a day is the optimal goal for daily walking to improve health and reduce mortality rates. The study, which focused on older women with an average age of 72, found that about 7,500 steps per day are associated with the greatest health benefits.
According to the study, published in 2019, 7,500 steps per day deliver the same survival advantage as 10,000 steps but without the need for chasing higher counts. The research found little extra benefit above roughly 8,250 steps for overall survival and about 9,700 steps for heart health, notably less than the traditional 10,000-step goal.
The study, which measured the step counts of almost 17,000 women over four years, showed that the benefits of walking in terms of mortality rates did not continue to increase beyond 7,500 steps per day. In fact, mortality rates leveled off at this step count. Increasing daily steps from 2,700 to 4,400 was associated with a 40% drop in mortality rates, suggesting that even modest increases in daily walking can have significant health benefits.
The study also found that walking more than 7,500 steps per day did not offer additional mortality benefits compared to walking 7,500 steps per day. This suggests that a daily step count of 7,500 steps may be optimal for reducing mortality rates.
The benefits of walking for older adults were particularly pronounced in the study, with benefits plateauing at approximately 6,000–8,000 steps per day. Younger adults showed a plateau around 8,000–10,000 steps per day.
While the study provides valuable insights into the benefits of daily walking, it does not provide specific information on the benefits of swinging arms while walking, walking in the rain, exercising with a cold, or the effects of sitting for long periods.
It's important to note that many factors other than step count may have affected the participants' likelihood of dying within the four years. The study does not claim that step count is the only factor influencing mortality rates. Instead, it suggests that a daily step count of 7,500 steps may be a more achievable and effective goal for reducing mortality rates, especially among older adults.
In addition to walking, the study recommends that individuals aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, including brisk walking, to further improve their health and reduce their risk of mortality.
The 10,000 steps target for daily walking originated from a Japanese pedometer called 'manpo-kei' marketed in the run-up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. However, the new study provides evidence that this goal may be too high for many individuals, especially older adults, and that a more achievable goal of 7,500 steps per day may be more effective for reducing mortality rates.
Science reevaluates the traditional 10,000-step goal for daily walking with the release of a new health-and-wellness study. Research led by Dr. I-Min Lee at the Harvard Medical School indicates that 7,500 steps per day, rather than 10,000, could be the optimal number for improving health and reducing mortality rates. Furthermore, increasing daily steps only up to 7,500 is associated with significant health benefits, as suggested by the study's findings on fitness-and-exercise and nutrition.
