airiefairie (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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talkpolitics2025-08-12 09:48 am
airiefairie) wrote in talkpolitics2025-08-12 09:48 am
The end of the 10K steps myth
A new international study published in The Lancet shows that walking around 7,000 steps a day is sufficient to significantly improve health and lower the risk of serious conditions:
All-cause mortality: –47%
Cardiovascular disease: –25%
Dementia: –38%
Depression: –22%
Cancer: –6%
Type 2 diabetes: –14%
Falls: –28%
LINK1 / LINK2
Turns out, even walking as few as 4K steps daily offers noticeable benefits compared to very low activity levels (~2K).
Granted, additional health gains continue beyond 7K steps, but the return diminishes, making 7K a practical and achievable target.
Funnily, the widely held belief in the 10K step goal originated from a 1960s Japanese marketing campaign rather than scientific evidence. Hardly surprising that it has taken hold in public perception.
So... rejoice! For smart folks now suggest that 5-7K steps may be a more realistic benchmark for most people. And just as effective.
All-cause mortality: –47%
Cardiovascular disease: –25%
Dementia: –38%
Depression: –22%
Cancer: –6%
Type 2 diabetes: –14%
Falls: –28%
LINK1 / LINK2
Turns out, even walking as few as 4K steps daily offers noticeable benefits compared to very low activity levels (~2K).
Granted, additional health gains continue beyond 7K steps, but the return diminishes, making 7K a practical and achievable target.
Funnily, the widely held belief in the 10K step goal originated from a 1960s Japanese marketing campaign rather than scientific evidence. Hardly surprising that it has taken hold in public perception.
So... rejoice! For smart folks now suggest that 5-7K steps may be a more realistic benchmark for most people. And just as effective.
