Weekly Wednesday: Step your way into better health outcomes.

Steps towards making a difference. 

For a long time, the recommendation in the health and fitness fields was for individuals to take 10,000 steps per day as part of a healthy lifestyle. This recommendation was not based on any specific research, rather a 1965 marketing promotion by a Japanese pedometer company. Over time, researchers have sought to determine whether this concept of “steps” results in better outcomes, and (if so) what the optimal number of steps may be. Until now, there was insufficient evidence to make any specific recommendations. 

In a recent study published by Ding et al. (2025), they determined that just 7,000 steps per day reduced mortality by almost half (47%). Additionally, it can improve cardiovascular and brain health, such as dementia and depression, as well as reduce risk of type 2 diabetes. When compared to outcomes from 10,000 steps, the mortality data is nearly the same. Researchers evaluated data from 57 worldwide studies conducted over the past decade – the largest retrospective data evaluation to date. In addition to the data on outcomes from 7,000 daily steps, they also found that even a modest number of steps (2,000-4,000) improves overall health and does so incrementally (every 1,000 steps) as they increase up to 5,000-7,000 steps.  

Further research looking into the subgroups of individuals (such as by age) should enhance these findings, and in the meanwhile, healthcare providers can start integrating these recommendations into their patient care. 

Ding, D., Nguyen, B., Nau, T., Luo, M., del Pozo Cruz, B., Dempsey, P. C., Munn, Z., Jefferis, B. J., Sherrington, C., Calleja, E. A., Chong, K. H., Davis, R., Francois, M. E., Tiedemann, A., Biddle, S. J. H., Okely, A., Bauman, A., Ekelund, U., Clare, P., & Owen, K. (2025). Daily steps and health outcomes in adults: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. The Lancet Public Health. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(25)00164-1 

ScienceDaily. (2025, July 26). "Blue prescription": Nature walks boost physical and mental health, study shows. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/07/250726234359.htm