Posted on 06/17/2026 6:41:06 PM PDT by Red Badger
You've probably heard that adults should aim for 10,000 daily steps.
This one-size-fits-all approach provides a clear message, though it doesn't consider how varied human lifestyles and bodies are.
In 2024, an international team of researchers found that even the most sedentary among us could ward off the harmful effects of sitting by incorporating more steps into our day.
Sedentary lifestyles are increasingly common, and we know they're linked to higher odds of dying from cardiovascular disease (CVD), greater risk of cancer and diabetes, and a shorter lifespan.
Those risks are lower for people with higher step counts and faster-paced walkers.
But it hasn't been clear whether highly sedentary people might be able to offset those alarming health risks with daily steps.
Watch the video below for a summary of the findings:
VIDEO AT LINK..........
The more steps that people in the study took, no matter how sedentary they were otherwise, the less risk they had of CVD and even early death.
So those of us with desk jobs are not totally doomed, though the researchers emphasize that it's still important to try to reduce sedentary time overall.
"This is by no means a get out of jail card for people who are sedentary for excessive periods of time," population health scientist Matthew Ahmadi from the University of Sydney explained when the research was published.
"However, it does hold an important public health message that all movement matters and that people can and should try to offset the health consequences of unavoidable sedentary time by upping their daily step count."
Ahmadi and colleagues analyzed data from 72,174 volunteers contributing to the UK Biobank, a large long-term dataset established in 2006 that will continue to track participants' health measures over at least 30 years.
There was an average of 6.9 years' worth of general health data for each participant included in the study. Participants had worn wrist accelerometers for seven days to estimate their physical activity levels, such as the number of steps they usually took and the time they usually spent sitting.
The median time spent sedentary was 10.6 hours each day, so those who spent more time than that were deemed to have 'high sedentary time', while those with fewer hours were deemed to have 'low sedentary time'.
Participants whose stats in the first two years might have been affected by poor health weren't included in the study, so the findings apply only to people who, for at least the first two years' worth of data, were generally healthy. It's unclear whether the data included participants with disabilities affecting step count.
The team found between 9,000 and 10,000 daily steps were optimal to counteract a highly sedentary lifestyle, lowering incident CVD risk by 21 percent and mortality risk by 39 percent.
Regardless of a participant's sedentary time, the researchers discovered that 50 percent of the benefits kicked in at around 4,000 to 4,500 daily steps.
Related: New Daily Steps Goal Shows You Don't Need 10,000 to Keep The Weight Off
"Any amount of daily steps above the referent 2,200 steps per day was associated with lower mortality and incident CVD risk, for low and high sedentary time," Ahmadi and colleagues wrote.
"Accruing between 9,000 and 10,000 steps a day optimally lowered the risk of mortality and incident CVD among highly sedentary participants."
This research was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.
An earlier version of this article was published in March 2024.
89th year, not 80. At 80 i was much more active than now, even though driving regularly.
My wife broke her leg, both bones, very early January and it took three months for her to be able to get around on her own........
I hardly take my phone with me everywhere, and, I carry in my purse not my pocket. I can go to the supermarket and Costco and post office and come home and it says I did 100 steps, obviously way off
If you can trust Amazon...................
More than enough!..............
If you can trust Amazon...................
True true.
I work at Amazon and I see a lot of stuff so you have a point, things get lost but if you don’t receive it you will get a replacement.
The smart watches I’m referring to, yes they’re Chinese but they count steps and they are $17-$20.
I have 3. Whenever I can’t find one I buy another and have it the next day, then I find the lost one. If I forget to charge the one I’m using, I always have one that is charged.
They are absolute bare bones “smart” watches but they count steps and they are $17. I would pick out a band or few also on Amazon. I like the cloth elastic type some have incorporated velcro into the band. Maybe 8-10 bucks for 1-3.
I started rebounding (mini trampoline) mid-Feb. It took me a while to build up to a good workout. I now do 20 minutes in the morning and 20 minutes in the afternoon. I try to get a minimum of 6000 steps a day, but most of it is on the rebounder (easier on the joints). I had Dr. checkup yesterday. I’ve lost 13 lbs since starting (also increased my protein intake) and my total cholesterol is down by 23 and my bp was the best one in a few years. Rebounding is very good for stress relief and its just fun to do so I actually look forward to my workouts. I’m 71 yo.
Tons of youtubes about rebounding if anyone is interested.
One could "walk the Psalms." But then you'll end up "like a tree planted."
Crawling is a good way to work your core, upper chest, arms, shoulders , glutes . Low impact, a lot of bang for your buck.
I would say that, for your age, you are doing fine.
More plain walking could help, but few your age are challenging themselves with a lot of stairs.
I walk 3-4 miles every morning and then lay in my recliner for the rest of the day.
I’m not sure that’s how it works......... 🤔
Wow, keep it up!
Seems like getting in 10K steps a day is far from “sedentary”
I try to get in 2-3 40 minute, fairly rigorous weight training sessions a week, and 3 days of 40 minutes or so on a supine bike with enough tension to get my heart rate at the upper “safe limit” for my age. Then maybe 2-3 miles of ambling around the mall once or twice a week.
After that, except for errands and helping a little with the house work, I’m apt to spend several hours reading a book in the afternoon and kicked back in front of the TV in the evening.
When my 76 year old wife was wearing herself out trying to do 3 mile at 3.3 mph every day and then doing other activities to “stay active”, I remind her how Jim Fix started the aerobics craze and how he decided that the faster/farther/longer one went, the more positive points one would get - until he died of a heart attack at age 52.
She often had to stop after a mile or so until I told her she’d get more benefit doing 3 mph and going a little farther...she now has more energy even tough her steps have fallen off from 10K to between 5k and 7K a day and then “supplementing” with everyday housework.
That’s what I try to do, 3 miles at 3 mph.............
Most usual thing ever. I followed a guy thru-hiking the Appalachian trail. He started at 380 lbs (6’6”) and got down to 320 before his foot gave out.
“If I hear one more “I gotta get my steps in” I’m gonna scream.”
Ditto.
10k steps equates to about 5 miles, no? Unless you’re retired and every day is pretty much “open”, getting that in EVERY DAY puts a serious dent in available time for all else a person has to do, and wats to do, each day. Even if it’s good for you, it’s still a lengthy chore. Every. Day.
A few years ago, before I broke my knee, I was doing a 14-minute mile on the treadmill 5 days a week. MD said I’d live to be 100.
Really have to get back to that, start with three days a week as my vision is so lousy I can’t drive any more and friend who goes to that gym is an idiot, not sure I can count on. him. But gotta start soon.
I cut carbs, and have a 5-hour eating period, except for a cup of coffee with half and half in the morning.
Well, sure. But on the other hand, you will know the exact amount by day along with averages, your heart rate 24/7 along with daily, weekly, monthly, yearly averages. Your daily sleep and what how long for each stage of sleep.
And you get charts, etc. Then get a smart scale.
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