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Walking 4 to 5 miles a day linked to several health benefits, study says

By Mallika Marshall, MD

Updated on: October 7, 2022 / 6:48 AM EDT / CBS Boston

Walking 10,000 steps a day can make you healthier, study says

BOSTON - Many experts recommend a goal of 10,000 steps a day for improved fitness. Now new research backs that up.

A study by JAMA Neurology found that walking about 10,000 steps a day, which is about 4-5 miles depending on your stride, was associated with a lower risk of heart disease and stroke, 13 types of cancer, and dementia.

Walking at a faster pace is even better.

But don't worry, if you can't get 10,000 steps in daily, walking any distance at any pace will still provide some health benefits.

Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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