For years, 10,000 steps have been considered the threshold to be reached every day to stay healthy. This figure is everywhere: in apps, on connected watches, in the recommendations of well-being professionals. But few know where this rule really comes from.
What science really says about the 7,000 steps
A study published in July 2025 in The Lancet Public Health looked at data of more than 226,000 people from 17 different cohorts. The results call into question the threshold of the 10,000 steps and show that walking around 7,000 steps per day is enough to obtain significant health benefits.
Researchers observe a 47 % reduction in premature mortality in people who reach this level of activity, compared to the most sedentary. The gain in life expectancy progresses until this threshold, then stabilizes. So no need to go much further to feel the effects.
In addition, the risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia or depression decreased sharply from 7,000 daily steps. This figure could thus become a new reference, much more accessible than the old one.
Why 10,000 steps have become a standard without proof
The figure of the 10,000 steps was imposed without scientific validation. It comes from an advertising campaign launched in Japan for the 1964 Olympic Games. The pedometer sold at that time was called “”, a term which simply means “”.
Since then, this reference has spread worldwide, taken up by manufacturers, health applications, and even certain professionals. However, no study at the time really justified this threshold. This figure is therefore more a cultural product than a medical standard. This context explains why recent results attract attention: they correct a widely disseminated, but weakly founded belief.
How to easily reach 7,000 steps on a daily basis
No need to change your life to walk 7,000 steps a day. This threshold can be reached without any particular effort, by slightly adapting its habits. A 15 -minute walk in the morning and another in the evening, a few trips on foot during the day, and the account is there.
Go up the stairs rather than take the elevator, go out to run without the car, accompany the children at school on foot, take a metro station earlier … All these actions count. Even walking by calling or getting up more often at work allows you to combine hundreds of steps without thinking about it.
On average, 1,000 steps are made in ten minutes. Distributed over the day, they naturally integrate into the rhythm of everyone, without performance pressure. For many, reaching 7,000 steps could become a goal as simple as it is effective.
FAQ – Not daily: what apps don’t tell you
1. Can we lose weight by walking less than 10,000 steps a day?
Yes, because weight loss also depends on diet and metabolism. Walking 6,000 or 7,000 steps a day, combined with a balanced diet, may be enough to start a gradual loss.
2. Do the steps made at home or at work really count?
Yes, each step counts, no matter where. Going to find a coffee, cleaning or traveling between two meetings is added to a total of the day, even if it is not sport in itself.
3. Why do some apps have less steps than others?
Applications use different sensors (accelerometer, GPS) and some badly detect soft or slow movements. Result: your meter can underestimate your real efforts.
4. Do you have to walk quickly to make it effective?
Not necessarily. A moderate rhythm walk is already enough to activate circulation, improve digestion and reduce stress. What matters is regularity, not performance.
5. What to do on the days when I can’t walk much?
You can compensate by moving otherwise: stretch, climb the stairs, stand up by teleworking or make some movements at home. The important thing is to avoid long periods of inactivity.
