Walking 10,000 steps a day has become quite the standard goal for those who want to lead a healthier life. However, a new study suggests that walking less could work just as well.
While 10,000 steps a day is indeed a satisfying number to strive for, it is also quite random. The exact number would have come from a marketing campaign launched ahead of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics for a device called Manpo-kei, which means as much as ‘10,000 steps meter’. Even though the number was mainly chosen for its name and marketing purposes, it caught on and it has become part of our health consciousness.
Sixty years later, however, scientist are increasingly questioning the 10,000 steps a day. While it is indeed a good way to stay fit, it can also seem unattainable, meaning less people are getting motivated to keep moving and stay healthy.
Today I learned that the idea of walking 10,000 steps a day originates from a Japanese pedometer manufacturer's marketing campaign in the run-up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The device's name is "manpo-kei" (10,000 step meter) and the number 10,000 is arbitrary. pic.twitter.com/iBBb97N0Ys
— Liam Branaghan (@liambr101) August 10, 2023
A new study, published in The Lancet Public Health journal on 24 July 2025, once again challenges the 10,000 steps rule. The researchers looked at data from more than 160,000 people across 31 studies in order to determine how many steps could be considered ideal.
“This study synthesised the prospective dose-response relationship between daily steps and health outcomes including all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, cognitive outcomes, mental health outcomes, physical function, and falls,” the researchers write.
The more, the merrier
According to the study, every increase in steps a day helps to maintain a healthy lifestyle. People reaching 4,000 steps a day on average were already considered much healthier than those getting 2,000 steps a day. However, for most health outcomes, benefits tapered off at around 7,000 steps a day. Walking more than this helped people with conditions such as heart disease but was not necessary for most.
“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. The findings of the study should be interpreted in light of limitations, such as the small number of studies available for most outcomes, a lack of age-specific analysis and biases at the individual study level, including residual confounding,” the study authors specify.
The conclusion of the study is quite clear: every little bit of extra physical exercise should be welcomed. Not attaining a specific goal – such as 10,000 or even 7,000 steps a day – should not be a reason to not walk at all. Overall, it is recommended to get a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week or 75 minus of vigorous exercise.
