A new study challenges the popular 10,000 daily steps target, revealing that significant health benefits begin at just 2,200 steps per day. The research published in the BMJ analysed data from over 70,000 participants in the UK Biobank to determine optimal step counts based on lifestyle patterns.
The study divided participants into two groups based on sedentary time. Those sitting for less than 10.5 hours daily were classified as low sedentary, while those inactive for more than 10.5 hours fell into the high sedentary category.
Starting from 2,200 steps daily, both groups experienced reduced risk of death and heart disease. However, researchers identified 4,000 to 4,500 steps as the minimum effective dose to substantially lower mortality and cardiovascular disease risk regardless of how sedentary your current lifestyle is.
Sedentary workers see greater benefits
The high sedentary group experienced particularly pronounced benefits between 6,000 and 10,500 daily steps. They achieved an additional 10% reduction in mortality risk compared to the low sedentary group within this range.
People taking 9,000 to 10,500 steps daily showed the lowest risk of premature death, regardless of sitting time. Researchers described this as the "optimal dose" of daily walking for maximum health protection.
Implications for health advice
The researchers emphasised the importance of targeted step goals for sedentary adults. "Our findings emphasise the importance of increasing daily steps particularly among adults who are highly sedentary," they stated.
They explained that sufficient daily step accumulation may counteract the adverse effects of prolonged sitting. "Among the high sedentary time group, being sufficiently active through daily step accumulation may ameliorate downstream effects of sedentary time, lowering the risk of developing comorbidities and subsequently leading to lower mortality risk."
The study's findings could reshape health messaging and goal setting for at-risk populations. Previous research has shown that spending 10 to 14 hours daily sitting increases mortality and cardiovascular disease risk by up to 50%.
Sources used: "Mirror", "WalesOnline", "Bristol Post" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
