University of Sydney Study Finds 7,000 Daily Steps Cut Early Death Risk 47%, Matching 10,000
Updated
Updated · Futura · Jun 9
University of Sydney Study Finds 7,000 Daily Steps Cut Early Death Risk 47%, Matching 10,000
2 articles · Updated · Futura · Jun 9
Summary
A 2025 Lancet Public Health review pooling 57 studies and more than 160,000 adults found about 7,000 steps a day was linked to a 47% lower risk of early death versus roughly 2,000 steps.
At that level, participants also showed a 25% lower cardiovascular disease risk, 38% lower dementia risk, 22% lower depression risk and 14% lower type 2 diabetes risk.
The analysis found longevity benefits at 7,000 steps were almost identical to those at 10,000, undercutting a target that originated in a 1960s Japanese pedometer marketing campaign rather than medical evidence.
Researchers said the evidence is observational and mostly moderate-certainty, but gains appear before 7,000 steps—moving from 2,000 to 4,000 already helps, making smaller increases a realistic public-health goal.