How many steps do we need to take per day? 

Many of us automatically associate the question 'how many steps should we take a day' with the number 10,000.

A new study has put the spotlight on this figure, suggesting that for many people, fewer steps might be a more achievable goal that could still lower the risk of severe health conditions.

It's a timely conversation as getting more people moving is an urgent health and economic priority for governments around the world. Globally, more than 30% of adults and a staggering 81% of adolescents, aged 11-17 years, are physically inactive, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This risks people's health, puts pressure on healthcare systems and has a big cost to economies.

Scientists looking at previous data on the health and activity of more than 160,000 adults say that rather than 10,000 steps, walking 7,000 steps a day could be enough to help cut the risk of serious health conditions and death.

Published in Lancet Public Health, the University of Sydney-led research says that compared to individuals with very low activity (around 2,000 steps), those walking near 7,000 steps a day showed significant reductions in relative risk for serious health outcomes, including:

For some conditions, such as heart disease, walking further could be more beneficial. For most others, while more steps are still good, the rate of additional benefit starts to slow down after reaching around 7,000 steps. This suggests the most significant health gains are achieved by moving from a low level of activity to this moderate target, the research says.

The study also finds that even more modest step counts are linked to better health outcomes compared to very low activity of around 2,000 steps a day.

The authors caution that the evidence for most conditions, such as cancer and dementia, is based on a smaller number of studies and will require more research to solidify these specific connections. But they say their findings underscore the value of encouraging people to track their steps as a way to improve their health.

The message from the WHO, meanwhile, is clear: any amount of physical activity is better than none, and all physical activity counts.

With 1 billion people across the world living with obesity, encouraging walking – which is free and can be easily integrated into many daily routines – is important for healthy populations.

According to the WHO, this goes beyond just promoting individual lifestyle choices, and will require a whole-of-society approach and creating environments that make it easier and safer for people to be more active.

Many cities and countries are recognizing this. Paris, for example, has embraced the '15-minute city' model for urban planning, in which everything residents need day to day can be accessed within a 15-minute walk or bike ride. Other cities from Shanghai in China to Melbourne in Australia are also incorporating the idea into planning frameworks.

Countries across the globe, meanwhile, are developing initiatives to encourage people to walk more. These include the UK, which is investing $400 million in new walkways and cycle lanes, and Singapore, which has developed networks of walking-friendly infrastructure and runs a 'national steps challenge' to incentivize people to walk more.

Tackling obesity – which is linked to over 200 health conditions – also has economic benefits, with its estimated impact on the global economy standing at around $2 trillion. The World Economic Forum’s Healthy Workforces initiative says there is an urgent need to address this public health issue.

Getting more people walking regularly – whatever the distance – could make a big difference. As the Lancet report notes, “every step counts for those who are able”.