Smartwatches, fitness trackers, and health apps constantly remind us how many steps we take each day. For many people, reaching 10,000 steps has become the benchmark for a healthy lifestyle. But is this number really the key to better health?
Not quite.
Although walking is one of the easiest and most accessible ways to stay active, recent scientific evidence suggests that the most important goal is not reaching a specific number of steps, but being physically active and reducing sedentary time.
The 10,000-step target has been popular for decades and has undoubtedly encouraged millions of people to move more. However, research has shown that health benefits do not suddenly appear when this threshold is reached. Instead, they increase progressively as people become more active.
A recent systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis published in The Lancet Public Health analyzed data from dozens of studies examining the relationship between daily step counts and health outcomes. The authors found that higher daily step counts were associated with lower risks of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia, depression, and several other health conditions. Importantly, substantial health benefits were already observed at around 7,000 steps per day compared with very low activity levels.
However, the key message is not that we should simply replace the 10,000-step goal with a new target of 7,000 steps. Rather, the evidence suggests that there is no single “magic number.” Every increase in daily physical activity matters. For someone who spends most of the day sitting, walking a little more, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or getting off the bus one stop earlier can provide meaningful health benefits.
This perspective is fully consistent with the World Health Organization’s physical activity guidelines. Rather than recommending a specific number of daily steps, the WHO emphasizes that any amount of physical activity is better than none and that reducing sedentary behaviour contributes to better health, even if recommended exercise levels are not fully achieved.
Walking is also only one way to stay active. Cycling, swimming, dancing, recreational sports, gardening, or strength training all contribute to improving cardiovascular health, maintaining muscle and bone strength, and reducing the risk of chronic diseases. In other words, physical activity cannot be measured only by the number of steps we take.
Perhaps the most important lesson from recent research is that we should stop chasing a specific number and instead focus on incorporating movement into our daily lives. Rather than asking whether we have reached 10,000 steps today, we might ask a more meaningful question: Have I moved more today than I would have otherwise?
References
Ding, D., Nguyen, B., Nau, T., Luo, M., Del Pozo Cruz, B., Dempsey, P. C., et al. (2025). Daily steps and health outcomes in adults: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. The Lancet Public Health, 10(8), e668–e681.
Paluch, A. E., Bajpai, S., Bassett, D. R., Carnethon, M. R., Ekelund, U., Evenson, K. R., et al. (2022). Daily steps and all-cause mortality: A meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. The Lancet Public Health, 7(3), e219–e228.
World Health Organization. (2020). WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour. Geneva: World Health Organization.
PhD in Sociology from the University of Barcelona. Early Childhood Education Teacher. Substitute Teacher at the Universitat de València.