Extending your healthy longevity is a step-by-step process. We've always said that part of that process is aiming for 10,000 steps a day.

But lately, a flurry of studies (wrongly) say that far fewer steps should be your ultimate target, and that 10,000 is a made-up goal.

For example, a 2023 study in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology says that walking 2,700 steps daily boosts heart health significantly, reducing the risk of death by 11%, and 7,000 to 9,000 steps daily provides optimal protection from cardiovascular problems.

There are also studies that say that if you're mostly sedentary, even if you get your steps in every day, you can't overcome the health risks from hours of sitting around.

We applaud the step-by-step process of starting small and aiming high, but we also know that the more you can do (without overdoing it), the more positive results you'll see. And it turns out that in multiple studies, 10,000 steps a day provides maximum reduction of your risk of premature death and decreases dementia risk.

For example, a 2023 study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed that the most beneficial step target is 9,000 to 10,000 steps a day. That reduced participants' risk of death over the next seven years by 39%, and lowered cardiovascular-triggered incidents by 21%.

Don't be confused by the diverse information you're hearing. Step up to a healthier life by increasing your daily distance step by step — at a pace that suits you — aiming for 10,000 a day.