Adherence
Accumulating up to 10,000 steps per day is associated with a lower risk of all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and cancer mortality, as well as reduced incidence of CVD and cancer.
Aim for more steps, but don't obsess over hitting 10,000 if it feels like a chore. The research shows significant mortality and disease risk reductions occur well before that number. Focus on increasing your daily average from your current baseline; every 2,000 steps adds benefit, with the curve flattening around 10,000.
More daily steps were associated with a lower risk of all-cause... CVD... and cancer mortality... for up to approximately 10 000 steps. Similarly, accruing more daily steps was associated with lower incident disease.
Why this rating
Large prospective cohort (n=78,500) with objective accelerometer data and registry-linked outcomes, though observational design limits causal inference.
Source
Prospective Associations of Daily Step Counts and Intensity With Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Incidence and Mortality and All-Cause Mortality
Borja del Pozo Cruz et al. · JAMA Internal Medicine · 2022
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →