Just 7,000 daily steps reduces heart disease risk
Research we're watching
- Reviewed by Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
Good news for people who can’t quite achieve the often-lauded goal of walking 10,000 steps per day: new research suggests that 7,000 daily steps is just as beneficial for longevity and heart health.
The review included 57 studies involving a total of more than 160,000 people, including both healthy adults and older people with chronic health conditions. All used various wearable devices to track their steps for several years. Compared to people who walked only 2,000 steps per day, those who clocked 7,000 daily steps had a 25% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 47% lower risk of dying from any cause during the study period. Taking more daily steps — up to 10,000 — led to even better outcomes, but the additional gains were fairly modest. This observational evidence doesn’t prove that walking caused the health benefits. But the study, published August 2025 in Lancet Public Health, is the largest and most comprehensive review of the link between daily steps and health, say the authors.
Image: © Charday Penn/Getty Images
About the Author
Julie Corliss, Executive Editor, Harvard Heart Letter
About the Reviewer
Christopher P. Cannon, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Heart Letter; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing
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