You don’t always need to do 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day anymore
We all probably have that friend who makes a big deal about all the steps they take in a day—and if not, you’re very likely that friend in your group. It’s actually hard not to be that person, especially if you’ve got your fitness in mind. And if you don’t already have a smartwatch or fitness band that’s tracking your steps, your phone is serving as your pedometer by default. Face it: You cannot escape the step count in 2025.
And for good reason, too. We all know by now that getting our steps in is the easiest way to maintain a baseline level of being healthy. If you’re lounging around at home all day and not getting up on your feet, it can lead to health problems. The only difference among everyone is exactly how many steps one should take in a single day.
Really active people will set at least 8,000 to 10,000 steps as their minimum. Regular people, especially those who may not enjoy walking (we are in a hot and humid tropical country, after all), can cap their steps at 6,000 to 7,000, which should take them around an hour to achieve.
That was the general wisdom… until now.
The fake 10,000 steps
First, recent scientific studies have found that the magic 10,000-step number is actually quite arbitrary. In fact, it’s even mythical—the origin of this particular figure is apparently the marketing of a Japanese pedometer company, which told people they needed to get a lot of walking in order to stay healthy. While, yes, being that active is good for you, it is a little bit overblown.
When you really think about it, achieving 10,000 steps a day would require you to walk a total of two to three hours, which most people may not have the time and energy for. (I know my feet would be cursing at me should I try to pull that off outside of a vacation in a walkable city abroad.)
Second, and the most important breakthrough: A new study published last week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that you may only need much less walking to get its benefits. The study tracked more than 13,000 women with an average age of 72, and after only walking 4,000 steps one day a week, they saw a decline in the likelihood of dying from or developing heart disease. They recorded a 27 percent lower risk of getting cardiovascular disease and a 26 percent lower risk of dying, compared to those who didn’t walk at all.
Walking is enough to save you, but it’s not a miracle cure
So what does this tell us exactly?
It’s important to look at the nuance. For those who simply need exercise to stave off chronic illness and diseases, and may not have time or energy to devote to a greater active lifestyle, the findings are positive that you’ll only need a relatively minimal amount of activity. Of course, the more active you are and can be, the better your chances will be—so if you can do more, please do more.
For those who are going after certain fitness and wellness goals, such as losing weight, burning fat, or increasing endurance, this isn’t the news you might be looking for. Your actual goals will still need actual, dedicated work. But it’s still good to know that even a decreased amount of activity from your usual levels still helps a lot more than doing nothing at all, so don’t stress out if your busy life keeps you sidelined.
Zooming out in the bigger picture, however, it’s clear that more studies need to be done—mainly because the subjects were elderly white women. There are a lot more variables that need to be looked at, and that’ll take a long time. Still, it’s a good sign that any movement is good, especially if the thought of diving into a full workout program or an entirely healthy and active lifestyle seems daunting to you.
