Aiming for this "more realistic and achievable target" could dramatically lower your risk of diabetes, dementia, and even death.
A growing wave of research shows that every step truly counts when it comes to better health. Most of us have heard the familiar mantra of aiming for 10,000 steps a day, but is it actually a magic threshold for wellness? The results of a recent study offer some fresh insight on the topic—and suggest a more attainable goal.
Published in the peer-reviewed medical journal The Lancet, the August 2025 study’s researchers found that you don’t need to chase 10,000 steps to see meaningful benefits. While noting that one out of every three adults worldwide is considered “insufficiently active,” their findings paint a picture of how striving for a slightly lower daily step count could lead to lasting improvements in both physical and emotional well-being.
To reach their conclusions, a team of Australian and European scientists looked at data from 57 studies published between 2014 and early 2025 to explore how daily step counts affect everything from heart disease and cancer to diabetes, mental health, and overall longevity. In particular, they chose studies in which the subjects wore pedometers or fitness trackers to measure their steps.
The study particularly noted “sizeable risk reductions” when people went from around 2,000 steps per day to about 7,000 steps per day. Beyond 7,000 daily steps, the health benefits continued but grew more gradually. To put it into perspective, most sources estimate that the average person needs around 2,000 steps to walk a mile—and UCLA Health reports that the average American takes between 4,000 to 5,000 steps daily. “Less than 4,000 steps is considered a low level of activity,” their experts write. “If you get less than 2,000 steps daily, your lifestyle is sedentary or inactive.”
When compared with 2,000 steps per day, the study discovered that walking 7,000 steps per day was associated with an impressive array of health outcomes:
- 47% lower risk of all-cause mortality
- 25% lower risk of incident cardiovascular disease incidence
- 47% lower risk of cardiovascular disease mortality
- 6% lower risk of cancer incidence
- 37% lower risk of cancer mortality
- 14% lower risk of type 2 diabetes
- 38% lower risk of dementia
- 22% lower risk of depressive symptoms
- 28% lower risk of falls
The recent study’s researchers rated the strength of evidence as moderate for most outcomes—meaning the results are broadly reliable. However, the team rated some categories, such as cancer and falls, with lower confidence because fewer studies were available on those topics. They further note that links between step count and health outcomes may be influenced by age, physical function, and other factors that were not accounted for in their study.
Still, the message is clear: you don’t have to hit 10,000 steps a day to make a difference to your everyday health and wellness. As the study’s text concludes: “Although 10,000 steps per day can still be a viable target for those who are more active, 7,000 steps per day is associated with clinically meaningful improvements in health outcomes and might be a more realistic and achievable target for some.”
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