The Real Number of Steps You Need a Day (Spoiler: It’s Not 10,000)

If you've ever felt personally attacked by your fitness tracker for not hitting 10,000 steps, we’ve got good news: you can officially chill.

Turns out, the whole 10,000-step thing? Total marketing spin from a 1960s Japanese ad campaign. Yep — your wrist has been guilt-tripping you over a catchy sales pitch for decades. 😅

RELATED: Could Walking Backwards Be The Secret To Physical and Cognitive Health?

So What Is the Magic Number?

New research (aka actual science this time) says that 7,000 steps a day is enough to seriously boost your health. After reviewing 57 studies with over 160,000 adults, researchers found that walking 7,000 steps can lower your risk of:

• Death from any cause — by 47% 😲
• Heart disease — 25%
• Cancer — 6%
• Type 2 diabetes — 14%
• Dementia — 38%
• Depression — 22%
• Falls — 28%

Even just 2,000 steps a day (hello, casual stroll to the fridge and back) is better than nothing. So no need to treat your step count like it’s an Olympic event.

Easy Ways to Sneak In Steps Without Becoming a Walking Podcast Addict:

🚶‍♀️ Park farther away at the grocery store. (Bonus: fewer door dings.)
🚶‍♂️ Take the stairs — unless your knees say "absolutely not today."
🛍 Walk to the store if it’s nearby and the weather’s not being dramatic.
📅 Schedule your walk like it’s a date with your future healthier self.