India, July 24 -- For decades, fitness trackers and health apps have urged users toward the same daily goal: 10,000 steps. But new research suggests that even taking 7,000 steps a day brought significant reductions in the risk of death and major diseases.

A comprehensive analysis of studies published between Jan 1, 2014, and Feb 14, 2025 on Thursday in The Lancet Public Health has found that taking 7,000 steps a day almost halved the risk of death and cardiovascular disease, and significantly reduced the likelihood of developing diseases such as type-2 diabetes, dementia and depression.

The study, which analysed data from 57 studies involving more than 160,000 adults across 35 research cohorts, represents the most extensive examination ...