Less Than We Were Told: How Many Steps a Day We Actually Need to Take

For decades, the goal of 10,000 steps has been marketed as a simple way to stay fit and improve health. But now scientists claim that the actual number of steps one needs to take in a day is lower.

Most people on the planet believe that the goal of 10,000 steps a day is a simple way to improve health. Fitness trackers have encouraged reaching this goal, although this number was never based on accurate scientific data. The myth originated as part of a Japanese marketing campaign in the 1960s, writes Focus.

Now, a new major study has focused on determining how many steps a day actually help with weight loss and achieving long-term results. Statistics show that obesity remains a growing problem worldwide: more than half of adult Europeans are already overweight or obese, and by 2035, nearly one in three people may be obese.

In the new study, Professor Marwan El Goch from the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia analyzed numerous clinical studies. The team reviewed 868 articles and found that only 18 met strict criteria, and 14 were used in the final analysis. A total of about 4,000 people from different countries participated. Participants were observed during two phases: during weight loss and during the maintenance of achieved results.

The results show that at the beginning, both groups had a similar level of activity — on average, recipients walked about 7,200 steps a day. Moreover, the data indicate that the results did not depend on the initial level of physical fitness. Everyone started from a comparable point. In the weight loss phase, people participating in lifestyle change programs increased their steps — to 8,400. At the same time, the control group remained close to the baseline level.

Weight loss occurred in a similar pattern. The group adhering to a healthy lifestyle lost about 4.4% of body weight. The control group showed minimal changes. The data also indicate that more movement and better habits led to better results.

The next stage was maintaining the achieved results. Participants in lifestyle change programs maintained a stable number of steps — continuing to take about 8,200 steps a day.

They also preserved the weight loss achieved. On average, their weight remained down by 3.3% compared to baseline. The control group showed slight improvements in both the number of steps and weight.

According to the scientists, the results indicate a practical significance of about 8,500 steps a day — this figure is based on real data, not marketing. At the same time, the analysis shows that every additional 1,000 steps during weight loss was associated with better long-term results. The same pattern was observed during weight maintenance.

Professor Goch also notes that increasing the number of steps per day did not have a significant impact on weight loss in the initial stage. Everything indicates that in the early stages, diet played a much larger role, with calorie reduction being the main reason for weight loss. However, over time, the role of steps became more important.

However, the scientists acknowledge that their analysis has some limitations: the studies considered varied in design and participants, creating some uncertainty.