Together We Walk, Together We Build

Every Step Counts: Why Walking May Be One of the Most Powerful Medicines for Your Health 

By Eugene Siow, Chief Physiotherapist

What if I told you that the journey to preventing heart disease, diabetes, dementia, and even premature death doesn't begin in a gym—it begins with the next step you take?

In today’s fast-paced world, many of us live increasingly sedentary lives, spending long hours sitting at computers, driving, or relaxing with screens. While technology has made life more convenient, it has also greatly reduced our daily movement.

This lack of activity often leads to silent health consequences such as weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, muscle weakness, joint stiffness, poor balance, and declining mental health—affecting not only older adults but also younger people. Yet, improving health does not always require expensive gym memberships or intense workouts; one of the simplest and most effective forms of exercise is something almost everyone can do daily: walking.

Walking is often underestimated because it is simple, yet research consistently shows it is one of the most effective ways to improve health, prevent chronic disease, and increase longevity.

For many years, people have been encouraged to reach 10,000 steps per day as a universal health target. However, this goal originated from a Japanese pedometer marketing campaign rather than medical research. Modern evidence shows that significant health benefits begin at much lower step counts.

One of the most comprehensive studies ever conducted on daily step counts was published in The Lancet Public Health (2025). The study analysed more than 160,000 adults and found that walking approximately 7,000 steps per day was associated with remarkable health improvements compared with walking only around 2,000 steps daily.

Adults who achieved approximately 7,000 daily steps experienced:

• 47% lower risk of premature death
• 25% lower risk of cardiovascular disease
• 47% lower risk of death from cardiovascular causes
• 37% lower cancer-related mortality
• 38% lower risk of developing dementia
• 22% lower likelihood of experiencing depression
• 14% lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes
• 28% reduction in falls

But how does walking produce such benefits? Each step engages the heart, muscles, bones, joints, and brain, improving circulation, cardiovascular efficiency, muscle strength, balance, joint mobility, insulin sensitivity, bone density, and brain health through the release of endorphins and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Together, these effects explain why walking benefits nearly every organ system and remains one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve both physical and mental health.

Evidence- informed Daily Physical Activity and Step Targets

Sources: Adapted from World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour (2020); Paluch AE, et al. The Lancet Public Health (2021); Ding D, et al. The Lancet Public Health (2025); and supporting pediatric physical activity literature.

Important Note: These recommendations are intended as general guidance for the public and should not replace professional medical advice. Individuals with heart disease, lung disease, neurological disorders, severe arthritis, recent surgery, or other significant medical conditions should consult their doctor or physiotherapist before starting or substantially increasing their physical activity. Your healthcare professional can recommend a safe and appropriate activity level based on your individual health status and goals.

A Simple Goal to Keep You Moving

While the evidence provides a recommended range, having one simple number to remember can make it easier to turn healthy movement into a daily habit.

As a practical healthy-lifestyle goal, we encourage:

• 15–40 years: Aim for 10,000 steps a day
• 41–65 years: Aim for 7,000 steps a day
• Above 65 years: Aim for 5,000 steps a day

These are simple motivational targets for promoting an active lifestyle, rather than strict medical thresholds. Reaching the target is great, but walking less than the target does not mean there is no health benefit.

In fact, research shows that meaningful health benefits can begin at much lower step counts. The greatest improvement often occurs when someone moves from being inactive to becoming more active.

So, if you are currently walking 3,000 steps a day, don't be discouraged by a 7,000- or 10,000-step goal. Start by adding another 500–1,000 steps and build up gradually.

The message is simple: Aim for your goal, but remember—every step counts.

Reference

1. Ding D, Nguyen B, Nau T, et al. Daily steps and health outcomes in adults: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. The Lancet Public Health. 2025. DOI:10.1016/S2468-2667(25)00164-1.
2. Paluch AE, Bajpai S, Bassett DR Jr, et al. Daily Steps and All-Cause Mortality: A Meta-analysis of 15 International Cohorts. The Lancet Public Health. 2021.
3. Saint-Maurice PF, Troiano RP, Bassett DR Jr, et al. Association of Daily Step Count and Step Intensity With Mortality Among US Adults. JAMA. 2020.
4. Lee IM, Shiroma EJ, Kamada M, et al. Association of Step Volume and Intensity With All-Cause Mortality in Older Women. JAMA Internal Medicine. 2019.
5. World Health Organization. WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour. Geneva: WHO; 2020.