New research found that taking just 2,600 steps a day can improve your health, despite the popular belief that 10,000 daily steps are needed for health benefits.The maximum number of steps that provide health benefits is less than the popular 10,000-step quota.Experts recommend scheduling short walking breaks during the workday to easily incorporate small amounts of movement into your routine.
Taking about 2,600 steps a day can have major health benefits, including decreasing your risk of cardiovascular disease, new research finds.
A new meta-analysis, published last month in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, challenges the widely-held belief that people need to reach 10,000 steps a day to see improvements.
“No official recommendations are available for daily steps, but 10,000 steps a day is a frequently adopted step target by the general population,” Thijs Eijsvogels, PhD, an associate professor at Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands and an author of the new study, told Health.
The findings may encourage people who have previously found it challenging to reach that 10,000-step threshold.
“This study suggests that even a small dose of steps can lead to cardiovascular benefit, which is helpful for individuals who may be intimidated by physical activity or think they need to do a lot of activity to reap a lot of benefits,” Tamanna Singh, MD, co-director of the sports cardiology center at the Cleveland Clinic, told Health.
Here’s how increased step count impacts certain health benefits, and how to consider your ideal daily step count.
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The authors of the new paper analyzed the results of 12 previous studies that assessed step count data, all of which were published before October 2022. Collectively, the studies included data on 111,309 individuals.
The authors found that getting just 2,517 steps a day was associated with an 8% reduction in risk of all-cause mortality, while getting 2,735 steps was associated with an 11% reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease.
The health benefits increased up until a point—but that point was under 10,000 steps a day.
Getting 8,763 steps a day was associated with a 60% reduction in risk of all-cause mortality, while getting 7,126 steps was associated with a 51% reduction in risk of cardiovascular disease.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that you should cut back if you’re used to getting 10,000 steps each day, Eijsvogels explained.
“Steps above the optimum dose threshold don’t yield additional health benefits relating to mortality and cardiovascular events, but [they may provide] other benefits, such as improved quality of life, better mental health, etc.,” he said. “There is no reason to refrain from more steps, even among the most active individuals.”
According to Singh, other possible benefits of a higher step count include retention of muscle mass, improvements in body composition, and improvement in mobility.
The studies analyzed for the new meta-analysis were based on diverse populations, meaning the insights Eijsvogels and the team derived are probably useful for most people. That said, high-risk groups may need additional research to understand how step count impacts their well-being.
“It can be assumed that the step targets [outlined in the new report] are applicable to the general population but should be further tailored towards specific groups at risk, such as the elderly and patients with cardiovascular disease.”
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If you’re looking to fit more steps in but you’re not sure you can reach the optimum daily count, it’s important to remember that even little increases can help.
“Every step counts, especially among individuals with a low step count,” Eijsvogels said. “Small changes in daily steps yield significant health benefits.”
A different meta-analysis, published earlier this year in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, found that adding just 1,000 steps a day can decrease the risk of all-cause mortality by 15%, while adding 500 steps can decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality by 7%.
It can sometimes be helpful to shift your focus from an “all-or-nothing” attitude when it comes to your step count, Singh explained, since prioritizing small changes may be more realistic than setting out on an 8,000-step walk each day.
“Just a mile is roughly 2,000 steps, for an average stride length,” she said. “That’s more tangible than someone thinking they need to run five miles to get cardiovascular benefit.”
Singh pointed out that the new study highlights the importance of doing what’s manageable even if it’s not ideal.
“I think the big takeaway from this study is not that you should limit your step counts to the minimal number necessary for benefits but rather realize that it does not take a lot of time and energy to achieve health benefits,” she said.
Small tweaks that could help you increase your step count include:
Take the stairs instead of the elevatorPark farther away from your destination so you have to walk a little moreIf you take public transit, consider getting off a stop early to add a short walk to your commuteTake short, scheduled walking breaks throughout the workday
For those looking to increase their step goal over time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends upping distance gradually, aiming for longer walks only after you’re in the routine of walking each day.
It may also be helpful to set a slightly higher distance goal at the start of each month or week and to change the direction and scenery of your walk once in a while to keep it interesting and more engaging.
Singh explained that, ultimately, walking is one of many ways to stay active, but that doesn’t mean it’s the superior form of exercise.
“I tell my patients that movement is movement,” Singh said, “and something is better than nothing.”