Not 10,000! We know how many steps you need to take to improve your health.

Taking 7,000 steps daily can improve brain function and reduce the risk of health problems, including cancer, dementia, and heart disease, according to a study published in the Lancet Public Health that included more than 160,000 adults worldwide.

Researchers from Australia, Norway, and Spain found that taking 7,000 steps a day , compared with 2,000, was associated with a 38% reduced risk of dementia, a 25% reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, a 22% reduced risk of depression, and a 6% reduced risk of cancer . The article cautions that some of the data may be less accurate because it is based on insufficient research.

The analysis showed that even moderate physical activity, around 4,000 steps per day , was associated with better health compared to very low physical activity, defined as 2,000 steps. At the same time, walking longer distances, above 7,000 steps, was associated with additional heart benefits.

How many steps do you need to take to improve your health? / Photo: Unsplash Bruno Nascimento

The BBC pointed out that most exercise guidelines focus more on time spent being physically active than on the number of steps taken. It cited the World Health Organization (WHO) , for example, which recommends that adults spend at least 150 minutes a week on moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes on vigorous aerobic activity.

According to Dr. Melody Ding , lead author of the study from the University of Sydney, the belief that you should take 10,000 steps a day is not supported by scientific evidence. The 10,000-step goal has its roots in a 1960s advertising campaign in Japan. Before the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, a pedometer called manpo-kei, which translates as "10,000-step counter," was introduced there. According to Dr. Ding, this number was "taken out of context" and became an unofficial guideline, which many fitness apps still recommend.

Dr. Andrew Scott, a lecturer in physiology at the University of Portsmouth in the UK , agrees that the exact number of steps isn't important. He says "more steps is always better than me," but reassures people that they shouldn't worry if they don't meet their goal of walking a certain number of steps.