The goal of “10 thousand steps a day”, which has been engraved in minds for years for a healthy life, is being replaced in the scientific literature by a new threshold that is more achievable but has powerful effects. The new meta-analysis, published in the journal The Lancet Public Health and combining data from more than 160,000 adults from 57 separate studies, found that 7,000 steps per day is associated with a significant protective effect on the risk of multiple diseases and premature death. According to the research, compared to those who took only 2 thousand steps a day, the risk of death from all causes was 47 percent lower, the risk of death from cardiovascular diseases was 47 percent, the risk of death from cancer was 37 percent, the risk of dementia was 38 percent, and the risk of depressive symptoms was 22 percent lower in those who took 7 thousand steps. The most striking aspect of the study is that this benefit does not only affect lifespan; It has extended to a wide range of mental health, cognitive decline and chronic diseases.
THE MOST IDEAL 7 THOUSAND STEPS
Research shows that 10 thousand steps also provide additional benefits. However, it is stated that the health gains appear most sharply when increasing from 2 thousand steps to 5-7 thousand steps, and beyond 7 thousand steps, the benefit continues but the rate of increase slows down. In other words, a critical leap in terms of health occurs when a person who spends most of the day sitting increases his activity level to a moderate level. This finding is important in that it breaks the perception of “unattainable goals”, especially for millions of people who do not exercise regularly, work at a desk, and have limited mobility in city life.
IT REDUCES THE RISK OF DEATH BY 47 PERCENT
The findings of the study brought the effects of walking on the cardiovascular system to the agenda again. The fact that the risk of death due to cardiovascular diseases is 47 percent lower in those who take 7 thousand steps a day is evaluated together with the positive effects of physical activity on blood pressure, blood sugar, atherosclerosis and metabolic balance. In the same study, a decrease of up to 25 percent in the risk of cardiovascular disease was found. According to experts, this table shows that walking is not just a simple daily activity that burns calories; It shows that it is a basic protective behavior that directly affects vascular health, the working capacity of the heart and metabolic load in the long term.
Türkiye’S REPORT CARD IS BAD
According to experts, the data and findings announced are in a much more critical place for Türkiye. According to the results of the Türkiye Household Health Survey announced by the World Health Organization in May 2025, 32.1 percent of the population in the country is physically insufficiently active. The fact that one in every four adults in Türkiye is obese shows that the problem still poses a huge public health burden. Moreover, in the study, the rate of those with cardiovascular disease or a 10-year cardiovascular risk of over 30 percent in the 40-69 age group was measured as 12.7 percent.
WE ARE NOT MOVING
Another important study showing the extent of physical inactivity in Türkiye was the research published by the World Health Organization in 2024. In the study covering adults aged 25-64 and comparing 2014 and 2023 data, the rate of physically inactive individuals increased from 37.3 percent in 2014 to 39.9 percent in 2023. In the study, it was stated that men were 1.91 times more active than women in 2023, inactivity increased with age, and the decrease in physical activity level after the age of 45 became more evident.
WALKING ROADS MUST BE MADE
Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Ayça Kaya said, “Adopting the 7 thousand step target in Türkiye can help put the policies to combat obesity in a more concrete and measurable framework. The Ministry of Health’s Action Plan for Combating Obesity and Physical Activity, covering the period 2025-2028, positions increasing physical activity as one of the main goals. However, the latest data clearly show that simply calling individuals to ‘move’ is not enough. Increasing shaded and safe walking routes in cities, “It is necessary to strengthen active living habits for school-age children, encourage regulations that will reduce long-term sitting in workplaces, and create neighborhood-scale walking areas suitable for the elderly population,” he says.
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