New research challenges 10,000 steps a day goal, finding significant health benefits with fewer steps

A new meta-analysis published in The Lancet Public Health, based on data from over 160,000 individuals across 57 studies, suggests that significant health benefits, including a 47% lower risk of all-cause mortality and a 25% lower risk of cardiovascular disease, can be achieved with fewer than 10,000 steps daily. The study indicates that walking around 7,000 steps daily is associated with substantial health improvements. For individuals over 60, maximum benefits were observed at 6,000 to 8,000 daily steps, while those under 60 needed 8,000 to 10,000 steps for similar protection.