Reality Check: Do You Really Need 10,000 Steps a Day?

Here's the truth about this daily step goal.

Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash

The 10,000-a-day step target was concocted by Japanese marketers in the 1960s. At the time, the arbitrary daily target lacked scientific backing, but we now know that while 10,000 steps a day is associated with a significantly lower risk for several chronic conditions, fewer steps are also beneficial.

More Steps Linked to Better Health

Research published in Lancet Public Health in 2025 pooled the results of dozens of studies and discovered health benefits from fewer than 10K a day. Though 10,000 daily steps were associated with less cardiovascular disease, dementia, depression, cancer, type 2 diabetes, falls, and lower all-cause mortality (a measure of how many people died from any reason during the study from any cause), taking 7,000 steps was nearly as effective. A 2020 JAMA study found that while 8,000 steps a day offered twice the protection against all-cause mortality, 4,000 steps was also beneficial.

Increasing step count to about 8,500 daily from about 7,000 better supported weight loss and maintenance. That’s from a 2026 systematic review and analysis of lifestyle modification programs that combined advice about diet and more walking published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

Sitting less may also defend against cognitive decline and support mental health. A 2022 JAMA Neurology study found an association between 9,800 steps daily and a reduced risk for dementia, though fewer daily steps also provided protection. A 2024 JAMA Open Network systematic review and meta-analysis determined that taking more than 5,000 steps daily was significantly associated with fewer symptoms of depression.

Does Walking Speed Matter?

Walking speed is the difference between racking up steps around the house, yard, and office, and walking for exercise.

Step-count studies don’t always measure cadence- the number of steps you take per minute or how fast you walk a mile -and even when they do, the findings are often inconclusive.

The authors of the Lancet Public Health study found that the evidence was too weak to make recommendations about cadence. In the JAMA study, there was no significant relationship between cadence and all-cause mortality. However, the JAMA Neurology study that found accumulating up to 9,800 steps daily helped prevent dementia also concluded that a higher cadence was related to a lower risk.

A quicker pace may deflect age-related changes to cognitive function and brain volume. According to a 2026 Neurologystudy, people in their 80s who walked faster than their peers showed slower cognitive decline and better preserved the size of the hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory.

Even without expert consensus on how fast to walk to help avoid chronic disease, it doesn’t hurt to walk faster if your health permits. A quicker cadence benefits your cardiovascular system.

The Bottom Line: How to Sit Less and Step More

Given the research, it’s reasonable to say that at least 7,000 steps daily is a good idea, although you may need more to control your weight and reduce dementia. However, it’s important to consider that the research about daily steps and health outcomes is observational in nature, and cannot prove that walking is responsible for better health. It’s also possible that reverse causation is at work here: instead of more steps resulting in less chronic disease, healthier people are the ones who are taking more steps than those with underlying chronic conditions, such as heart disease or cognitive decline.

Whatever the case, it’s safe to say that U.S. adults are largely a sedentary lot. On average, they take 4,000 to 5,000 steps daily, and many people get fewer than 2,000 steps, so there’s room for improvement.

Tracking devices create awareness and may motivate you to sit less. Research suggests that tracking devices increase step counts, but if you’re triggered by tracking your activity, concentrate on how to take more steps during the day (see below) without counting. For reference, a brisk 30-minute walk at a pace of 15 minutes per mile racks up about 4,000 steps.

Here are some simple ways to use your feet more often every day:

• Get up and walk around the house or the office for 3 minutes every hour

• Skip the drive thru and go into the store

• Vacuum or sweep the house

• Pace while you’re on the phone

• Cook dinner instead of ordering take-out that gets delivered

• Take the stairs as often as possible

• Walk a few extra blocks to and from work, the gym, and appointments

• Shop for groceries and take them in the house one bag at a time

• Return your cart to the store after grocery shopping

• When doing errands, park as far away from stores as possible

• Mow the lawn

• Rake leaves

• Shovel snow

How do you take steps to sit less? Let me know!