“It is just as important to walk 7,000 steps a day as it is to take your pills,” said Dr. Joshua Knowles.

TAKE 7,000 STEPS

Are you getting in your steps? The supposed magic daily number, 10,000, has long been a fitness cliché. Researchers have come up with a more scientifically sound goal, and thankfully, it’s also more attainable: 7,000 steps.

To arrive at that number, researchers analyzed more than 50 studies. They found that even a small amount of walking was beneficial: Regular, moderate walks were associated with a lower risk of dementia and cardiovascular disease. But more is better, and people who walked 7,000 steps a day — roughly three miles — have a 47 percent lower risk of death compared with those who walked 2,000 steps.

“It is just as important to walk 7,000 steps a day as it is to take your pills,” said Dr. Joshua Knowles, a cardiologist at Stanford Health Care.

July 27, 2025  (email)