This Is Actually How Many Steps You Need In A Day For Longevity (It's Not 10,000)

In terms of health myths, it's certainly not a harmful one, especially if it inspires you to move more—some people appreciate the specific metric. But according to longevity expert Sergey Young, founder of the Longevity Vision Fund and author of The Science and Technology of Growing Young, you don't actually need to reach 10K to reap the benefits. As he explains on the mindbodygreen podcast, after a certain (and much lower) step count, the health benefits seem to plateau. 

Young tells us that 7,000 steps is a more accurate number. Anything after 7,000, and "it's almost like a plateau," he says. Research backs it up: One study found that women who averaged approximately 4,400 steps per day had significantly lower mortality rates1 compared to women who took approximately 2,700 steps per day; however, the mortality rates leveled out at around 7,500 steps per day. Meaning, more steps taken per day was associated with increased longevity—but once you hit 7,500 steps, it doesn't seem to add any more benefit.

And of course, any movement you can fold into your daily life is ideal. Try to follow whatever routine is most realistic and available to you. "The beauty of walking is that you don't need to dedicate a lot of time to it," says Young. "You can integrate it into your healthy lifestyle." 

OK, so you might only need 7,000 steps per day; beyond that, the benefits seem to plateau. It's nice to know, but perhaps continue to make 10,000 steps your goal—that way, if you fall short, you're likely still covering enough ground.