Still chasing 10,000 steps? You don’t need to.

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know I’ve written before about the whole “10,000 steps a day” target – and how it didn’t actually come from science at all. It started as part of a Japanese marketing campaign in the 1960s to sell pedometers. The number just sounded good – round, memorable, easy to promote. And it stuck.

Fast forward to now, and we’ve all been made to feel like 10k steps is the golden rule. But here’s the thing – you don’t need to hit it to get big health benefits. In fact, 7,000 steps a day is enough to cut your risk of early death in half.

That’s from a new review by researchers at the University of Sydney who analysed 57 different studies on walking and long-term health. They looked at everything from heart disease and cancer to type 2 diabetes, dementia, and depression – and the findings are pretty clear: more isn’t always better.

Even if you’re currently only doing 2,000 to 4,000 steps a day, you’re still getting benefits compared to doing very little. But the real sweet spot seems to be between 5,000 and 7,000 steps. Compared to those hitting just 2,000 steps, people walking 7,000 steps a day had a 47% lower risk of early death. Push to 10,000 and… the improvement is barely noticeable.

It’s the same with dementia risk – 7,000 steps gave a 38% reduction, while going up to 10,000 only added another 7% improvement.

So if you’re stressing about hitting 10k every day – take the pressure off. 7,000 steps consistently is still a big win for your health.

And here’s something else to consider – pace matters. It’s not just the step count; it’s how briskly you walk. A study from the University of Chicago found that walking just 14 steps a minute faster improves your overall strength and helps prevent falls and fractures. They reckon 100 steps a minute is the sweet spot – not quite a power walk, but definitely more purposeful than a dawdle.

Bottom line:

If 10,000 steps fits into your lifestyle, brilliant – keep it up. But if you’ve been feeling guilty for “only” doing 7,000, stop. You’re still reaping massive health benefits without the pressure of chasing a number that started life as clever advertising, not a health guideline.

Need help finding ways to build more movement into your day without it feeling like a chore? That’s where coaching comes in.