A study shows that increasing daily steps can reduce the health risks of prolonged sitting. Using data from more than 72,000 participants in the UK Biobank, researchers tracked activity and health outcomes over nearly seven years.
They found the greatest benefits at 9,000–10,000 steps per day, lowering the risk of death by 39% and cardiovascular disease by 21%. However, about half of these benefits were already achieved at 4,000–4,500 steps daily.
Importantly, the benefits applied even to people who sat for more than 10 hours a day. While walking cannot fully eliminate the harms of a sedentary lifestyle, it significantly reduces them. The study supports using daily step counts as a simple, effective public health target.