Ditch 10K, target 7k steps daily for good health. Here's what a study just discovered

What do you do to keep yourself fit? Walk 10,000 steps daily as urged by fitness trackers and health apps? Well that may not be required any longer as a new research suggests that even taking 7,000 steps a day reduces the risk of death and major diseases significantly. The research that was published in The Lancet Public Health journal examined data from more than 160,000 adults and reached to the conclusion that walking 7,000 steps was enough for keeping healthy.

The research revealed that walking 7,000 steps a day reduced the risk of dying from cancer by 37%, while the risk of suffering from type 2 diabetes reduced by 14%. The chances of catching dementia and depression also reduced by 38% and 22%, respectively.

If you are someone who walks 10k steps daily, then there is no need to drop the effort and walk the 7k steps recommended in the new research as it is for those having low activity levels, underscoring the importance of being active.

"Those who are currently active and achieving the 10,000 steps a day, keep up the good work – there is no need to modify your step counts. However, for those of us who are far from achieving the 10,000 targets, getting to 7,000 steps/day offers almost comparable health benefits for the outcomes we examined", said Melody Ding, professor of public health at the University of Sydney and lead author of the research.

The 10,000-step target often pitched by fitness trackers and health apps does not have any rigorous scientific research but originates from a 1960s Japanese marketing campaign. In the run-up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, a pedometer brand launch by the name manpo-kei, which translates as "10,000-step meter" was taken out of context and became an unofficial benchmark of fitness, which several apps continue to follow.