Compared to walking 2,000 steps a day, walking 7,000 steps a day was linked to a 47 percent lower chance of dying from any cause.
Published Jul 25, 2025 | 6:50 PM ⚊ Updated Jul 25, 2025 | 6:50 PM
Walking 7000 steps. (iStock)
Synopsis: A new Lancet study led by Prof. Ding Ding finds that walking 7,000 steps a day significantly lowers the risk of death and chronic diseases. Dr. Sonal Asthana emphasizes its importance for India, where physical inactivity and poor diets fuel rising lifestyle diseases. He notes that 7,000 steps is a realistic, achievable goal with major health benefits.
A recent study published in The Lancet Public Health, led by Prof. Ding Ding from The Charles Perkins Centre at the University of Sydney, has found that walking around 7,000 steps a day can offer significant health benefits for adults.
The researchers reviewed data from 57 previous studies—31 of which were included in a detailed analysis—examining the link between daily step counts and health outcomes. Their findings revealed a consistent trend: as the number of daily steps increased, the risk of early death and several chronic conditions—including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia, depression, and falls—decreased.
“For all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease incidence, dementia, and falls, an inverse non-linear dose-response association was found, with inflection points at around 5,000–7,000 steps per day,” the study said.
This means the greatest improvements were seen when people reached about 5,000 to 7,000 steps a day.
In some other areas, the relationship was steady. The researchers wrote that “an inverse linear association was found for cardiovascular disease mortality, cancer incidence, cancer mortality, type 2 diabetes incidence, and depressive symptoms.”
In simple terms, as step counts went up, the risks in these areas continued to go down in a straight line.
The numbers showed the difference clearly. Compared to walking 2,000 steps a day, walking 7,000 steps a day was linked to a 47 percent lower chance of dying from any cause.
It also meant a 25 percent lower chance of getting heart disease and a 37 percent lower chance of dying from cancer.
The study further reported a 38percent lower risk of dementia and a 22 percent lower risk of depressive symptoms. “A 28 percent lower risk of falls” was also noted when comparing 7,000 steps with 2,000 steps, the authors wrote.
Although the popular target of 10,000 steps remains useful for those who are very active, the findings suggest that a lower target could still be very effective. The authors explained that “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 researchers noted that fewer studies were available for certain health outcomes like cancer and dementia, which limited the strength of evidence in those areas. As a result, the certainty regarding the benefits of step counts for these conditions is lower compared to outcomes like all-cause mortality and heart disease, where more data was available and the evidence is stronger.
Most of the studies that were included in this review did not focus on detailed age‑specific groups, making it difficult to understand how step counts affect younger adults, middle‑aged people, or older populations in different ways. Without such information, the findings might not fully reflect variations across age categories or life stages, even though the overall trends are clear.
The authors also note that some of the individual studies might have had biases or unmeasured factors that could influence the reported results. These possible gaps mean some caution is needed when interpreting the associations, though the overall direction of benefits remains consistent.
Even with these limits and uncertainties, the overall message from the analysis stays strong and easy to understand, “increasing your daily steps is linked to better health, and aiming for about 7,000 steps a day offers meaningful, protective, and achievable benefits for many different people.”
Speaking to South First, Dr Sonal Asthana, Clinical lead and program director, Aster integrated liver care, Bengaluru, explained that, “Over the last two decades the burden of illness in India, especially in urban areas has shifted, it is now because of non‑communicable diseases.”
These include diabetes, heart disease, liver disease and some cancers. He mentioned that many of these conditions are connected and form part of metabolic syndrome, which involves high cholesterol, excess body fat and diabetes.
He further explained that one of the main reasons for this growing burden is reduced physical activity. People used to walk more in their daily lives, but now, with long working hours, crowded cities and fewer walking spaces, overall activity has fallen sharply.
On why walking is important, Dr Asthana highlighted that, “Not everyone can start with running, especially due to weight-related issues, the physical stress it places on the body, and, as people age, the impact it can have on their joints,” adding that, “walking is a form of cardio that improves heart health without putting too much strain on the body, making it suitable for more people.”
Speaking about step counts, Dr Asthana said, “What sets this study apart is its recognition that the commonly recommended goal of 10,000 steps a day may not be achievable for everyone.”
Noting that 10,000 steps a day roughly equals to six kilometres— a difficult task for many to complete— Dr Asthana reiterated the findings: “About 7,000 steps a day still brings significant benefits, lowering risks of heart disease, stroke and diabetes.”
In the Indian context, Dr. Asthana noted that most urban residents don’t even reach 5,000 steps a day. Many rely on cars for short distances, spend much of their time indoors, and often face low vitamin D levels and poor sleep. Combined with carbohydrate-heavy diets, these habits increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and fatty liver.
“We have a well-known saying: you cannot outrun a bad diet,” Dr. Asthana said, emphasizing that regular physical activity must go hand in hand with a healthy diet. While long-term Indian studies are lacking, he noted that current step-count recommendations offer a solid starting point—and taking more steps can only lead to greater health benefits.
(Edited by Sumavarsha)
