If you pace the living room or work corridors to get your daily step count to 10,000, it might be time to put up your feet and relax.
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A new study reveals people need to take far fewer steps for roughly the same health benefits.
Just 7000 steps a day will likely do the job, the University of Sydney-led research published in The Lancet Public Health journal has found.
The scholars analysed 57 studies into daily steps recorded by devices like smart watches and fitness trackers published over the decade to 2025.
They discovered taking 7000 steps a day lowered the risk of early death by up to 47 per cent compared to taking only 2000 per day.
Step counts were weighed against various mortality factors, such as heart disease, cancer, falls, diabetes and depression.
7000 steps 'more achievable' for some
"Although 10,000 steps per day can still be a viable target for those who are more active, 7000 steps per day is associated with clinically meaningful improvements in health outcomes and might be a more realistic and achievable target for some," the study authors concluded.
While there were still benefits to walking more, these were small.
"But 10,000 steps per day can still be a viable target for those who are more active," the researchers concluded in their article, "Daily steps and health outcomes in adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis".
They also pointed out lower step counts were still useful for staying healthy for longer.
"For example, 4000 steps per day compared with 2000 steps per day was associated with substantial risk reduction, such as a 36 per cent lower risk in all-cause mortality," they wrote.
A guide to healthy living
It is hoped the study, which Sydney university described as "the largest and most comprehensive review" of available data to date, will help contribute to Australian public health guidelines for healthy living and exercise.
"We know daily step count is linked to living longer, but we now also have evidence that walking at least 7000 steps a day can significantly improve eight major health outcomes - including reducing risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia and depressive symptoms," Professor Melody Ding from the university's School of Public Health said.
The researchers said future studies should look at step count guides for different age groups, health and regions.
The study was published on July 24.
