How many steps do you really need in a day?

For years, the widely accepted target of 10,000 daily steps has been synonymous with staying healthy. However, as reported by Jonathan Neal for Mail Online, a recent analysis of 33 studies involving nearly 100,000 adults suggests that this figure might not be necessary—at least for improving mental health.

In a study published in JAMA Network Open, researchers examined the link between step counts and the risk of depression. Neal highlighted that taking 7,500 steps daily reduced the risk of depression by 42%. Benefits were seen with as few as 5,000 steps, while going beyond 10,000 offered no additional mental health advantage.

Lindsay Bottoms, an exercise and health physiology researcher at the University of Hertfordshire, told Mail Online that 10,000 steps is an arbitrary target originating from a 1960s Japanese marketing campaign for a pedometer called the Manpo-kei or "10,000 steps meter." Bottoms emphasized the importance of more realistic goals:

“Doing as few as 4,400 steps has been shown to improve life expectancy,” Bottoms said. “For someone who regularly does only 2,000 steps a day, having a target of 4,000 is more achievable than aiming for 10,000, which is just not going to happen.”

Neal also noted that moderate physical activity, such as walking, is sufficient to improve physical and mental health. University of Leicester Professor Tom Yates reinforced this, saying, “Moderate amounts of physical activity can be tremendously powerful in reducing the risk of premature mortality.”

While the goal of 10,000 steps remains popular, Neal’s report underscores that smaller, more manageable targets can still yield significant benefits, especially for mental well-being.