Exercise and activity are fundamental to wellbeing. We know this. In terms of activity (gentle/moderate activity, not actual exercise) it is often suggested that we should aim for 10 000 steps per day. This is a well-established and oft-used target. But if you look into it, you’ll find that this figure is not really based on conclusive evidence or research per se. It was just “arrived at by consensus” and that’s not a bad thing per se. But what would/does the actual science say?

There has been some quite good research published recently (JAMA 2021,4) on this topic and it looked at over 2000 middle aged Americans over a 10-year period 2007 to 2017. They found that all-cause mortality was significantly lower in those who walked 7 000-10 000 steps per day (mortality 50% lower), and even lower in those who walked 10 000+ steps per day (mortality 70% lower) Importantly, this was a solid piece of medical research that controlled/adjusted for potentially confounding/confusing factors like age, BMI, lifestyle, etc. These appear to be trustworthy results that confirm the value of moderate activity (walking).

So there you have it. Real solid evidence that walking is good for you. Looks like you should aim for 10 000 steps a day, or even a bit more maybe, for optimal benefit. But very real benefit accrues from at least 7 000 steps per day, quite possible even less. To make this even more practical for you, 7 000 steps is about 5-6km for most adults. But remember, even the least active among us probably manage 2 000 steps a day just in daily living, so most of us are really just looking to add some 5 000 steps or about 3km or so each day. It’s not a marathon…