JAMA 10-Year Study: 8,000 Steps a Day Cuts Mortality Risk in Half

This article is for health education purposes only and is provided for informational reference. It does not constitute medical advice. Please consult a qualified physician for any health concerns.

You may have heard of the "10,000 steps a day" rule—but where does that number come from, and is it really necessary? A study published in JAMA, which followed 4,840 American adults over 10 years, offers a more precise answer: compared with those who walked fewer than 4,000 steps per day, individuals who walked approximately 8,000 steps per day had an approximately 51% lower risk of all-cause mortality, while those who walked 12,000 steps per day had an approximately 65% lower risk. Source: Saint-Maurice PF, et al. JAMA. 2020;323(12):1151-1160.

What's even more valuable: more steps are not necessarily better—there is a clear "plateau effect."

Aged 60 and above: Approximately 6,000–8,000 steps per day provide most of the benefit; additional steps yield diminishing returns.
Under 60 years old: The plateau point is around 8,000–10,000 steps.

Pace also matters: At the same step count, a moderate walking pace (approximately 100 steps/minute) confers greater benefit than a slow stroll.

Actionable recommendations: There is no need to chase "10,000 steps a day." Start by increasing your current step count to 6,000 per day, then gradually work toward 8,000—getting off public transport one stop early, taking a 15-minute walk after lunch, or pacing while on phone calls are all practical ways to do so. The key is to get up from your chair and start walking.

Save and share this with your family: you don't need to run a marathon—simply walking every day is one of the simplest investments in longevity.

References: 1. Saint-Maurice PF, Graubard BI, Troiano RP, et al. Association of Daily Step Count and Step Intensity With Mortality Among US Adults. JAMA. 2020;323(12):1151-1160. PMID: 32207799 2. Paluch AE, Gabriel KP, Fulton JE, et al. Steps per Day and All-Cause Mortality in Middle-aged Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(9):e2124516. PMID: 34506600

Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available peer-reviewed research and is intended solely for health education purposes. It does not constitute medical advice. Please consult a physician regarding exercise plans tailored to your individual health status.

Conflict of Interest Statement: This article was independently written by Sun Shenghua (Beijing) Medical Technology Co., Ltd. and received no external funding.