What's The Best Exercise? Walking Is A Top Contender (More Research, 2025)

We at Set For Set are huge fans of walking, Good ol' basic walking. People can get caught up debating whether or not it's considered "exercise," but we feel that's missing the point.

There has been a plethora of research and studies showing how powerful this basic and simple form of physical activity is. And now there's even more.

With what we now know about the health benefits of walking, it's safe to say everyone should be getting their steps in.

Daily steps and health outcomes in adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis (2025)

As we mentioned, numerous studies and research have shown the benefits of walking on health and mortality. However, this group of researchers wanted to expand on this and examine the effect of walking on specific conditions.

What we like about this meta-analysis is that it focuses on actual health outcomes, rather than weight loss. Weight loss plays a role in many health benefits, but it's essential to remember that there are more important reasons for staying active apart from looking good..

What The Study Did

This was a systematic review + dose–response meta-analysis that included 57 studies and 35 cohorts. It was published in The Lancet Group Public Health in 2025. 

While the general rule for daily steps is 10,000, the researchers chose a number they believed was more achievable for the general public. Therefore, they decided to use 7,000 steps.

To provide comparison, they ran numbers to compare 7,000 steps with the average steps of an inactive person, which came out to be 2,000. 

Here is what they discovered when calculating the health benefits of walking 7,000 steps a day;

• 47% lower all-cause mortality
• 47% lower cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality
• 38% lower dementia risk
• 37% lower cancer mortality
• 28% lower risk of falls
• 25% lower CVD incidence
• 22% fewer depressive symptoms
• 14% lower type 2 diabetes incidence

As we see, walking 7,000 steps a day, which is probably only 5,000 more than you are currently doing, provides a significant boost to your health. 

Walking More = Better Health 

This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge. It seems that walking improves every aspect of our lives, even things we might not expect at first. For example, research has shown that walking can even improve chronic back pain (Haddadj et al., 2025).

How Far Do You Need To Walk?

It's challenging to provide a single answer, but new research has shown that walking 7,000 steps daily offers significant health benefits compared to just 2,000 steps.

There have been other studies that have suggested a number lower than 10,000 as well, as it's easier for more people to achieve. For example, consider the following numbers. 

• 1,000 extra steps/day = 15% lower risk of all-cause mortality; every 500 steps lowered CVD risk by 7% (Maciej et al., 2023).
• 2,337 steps/day = reduced cardiovascular complications (Maciej et al., 2023).
• 3,143 steps/day = minimum threshold for protection against all-cause mortality (Rodriguez-Gutierrez et al., 2024).
• 3,867 steps/day = significant reduction in all-cause mortality (Maciej et al., 2023).
• Even below 10,000 steps per day, the benefits remain strong (Hall et al., 2020).
• 12,500+ steps per day = greatest drop in all-cause mortality (Rodriguez-Gutierrez et al., 2024).

At the same time, realize that there is a dose-response relationship for many health outcomes, meaning that taking more steps provides greater health benefits.

Therefore, 7,000 steps a day seems to be a good general guideline for people. However, and this is important, this is the minimum!

7,000 daily steps is a reasonable goal to work into your daily life, so remember that more is better.

Walking FAQ

1) How far is 10,000 steps?

Ten thousand steps equals roughly 4 to 5 miles (6.4–8 km), depending on stride length. 

Most people average 2.1–2.5 feet per step, so taller individuals may cover closer to 5 miles while shorter walkers are nearer 4. 

Tracking with a smartwatch or pedometer gives the most accurate distance based on your unique stride.

2) How long does it take to walk 10,000 steps?

Walking 10,000 steps typically takes around 75–100 minutes, depending on your pace and stride length. 

• Easy stroll (2 km/h or 1.2 mph): About 4 hours to reach 10,000 steps
• Moderate pace (3 km/h or 1.9 mph): Around 2.5 to 3 hours
• Brisk walk (5 km/h or 3.1 mph): Roughly 1.5 to 2 hours

3) How many calories do you burn walking 10,000 steps?

Calorie burn depends on body weight, pace, and terrain. On average, walking 10,000 steps burns 300–500 calories. 

Walking uphill or briskly increases energy expenditure, making step count a simple way to track daily activity and calorie output.

To really increase intensity, try rucking!

4) Does running count as steps?

Yes, running absolutely counts as steps. Fitness trackers and pedometers register foot strikes regardless of speed, so running typically racks up steps faster than walking.

However, because a running stride covers more distance, you'll build more mileage with your 10,000 steps yet reach it in less time.

5) How fast do you need to walk for health?

For most adults, walking at a brisk pace of 3–4 mph (4.8–6.4 km/h) delivers the best health benefits. This intensity raises your heart rate, improves cardiovascular fitness, and supports weight control.

While not every step needs to be taken at a higher pace, try to ensure that at least 3,000 steps are taken. This is approximately 2.5km (1.5 miles) and would take 15 minutes at a 4km/hr (2.5mph pace).

A quick rule of thumb: if you can talk but not sing while walking, you're moving at a healthy, moderate-intensity pace.

References

1. Bjørn Olav Åsvold et. al, Cohort Profile Update: The HUNT Study, Norway, International Journal of Epidemiology, Volume 52, Issue 1, February 2023, Pages e80–e91, https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyac095
2. Ding, D., Nguyen, B., Nau, T., Luo, M., Del Pozo Cruz, B., Dempsey, P. C., Munn, Z., Jefferis, B. J., Sherrington, C., Calleja, E. A., Hau Chong, K., Davis, R., Francois, M. E., Tiedemann, A., Biddle, S. J. H., Okely, A., Bauman, A., Ekelund, U., Clare, P., & Owen, K. (2025). Daily steps and health outcomes in adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. The Lancet. Public health, 10(8), e668–e681. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(25)00164-1 
3. Haddadj J, et al. Volume and Intensity of Walking and Risk of Chronic Low Back Pain. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(9):e2435269 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2835297 
4. Hall, K.S., Hyde, E.T., Bassett, D.R. et al. Systematic review of the prospective association of daily step counts with risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease, and dysglycemia. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act 17, 78 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12966-020-00978-9 
5. Maciej Banach et. al, Lipid and Blood Pressure Meta-analysis Collaboration (LBPMC) Group and the International Lipid Expert Panel (ILEP), The association between daily step count and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality: a meta-analysis, European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, Volume 30, Issue 18, December 2023, Pages 1975–1985, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwad229 
6. Rodríguez-Gutiérrez, E., Torres-Costoso, A., Del Pozo Cruz, B., de Arenas-Arroyo, S. N., Pascual-Morena, C., Bizzozero-Peroni, B., & Martínez-Vizcaíno, V. (2024). Daily steps and all-cause mortality: An umbrella review and meta-analysis. Preventive medicine, 185, 108047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2024.108047