10,000 daily steps not needed: A much lower walking target can help reduce brain disease risk, finds new study

Walking is often said to be one of the easiest ways to stay healthy, but for many people it can be hard to reach the popular 10,000 steps a day target. The good news for these people is that the benefits of walking may begin much earlier, particularly when it comes to brain health. Research suggests that even a modest daily step count could be associated with slower cognitive decline and changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

A study published in the journal Nature Medicine found that walking around 3,000 steps a day was associated with slower deterioration in cognitive abilities among older adults at risk of Alzheimer’s. The association became stronger at higher activity levels, although researchers found no clear additional benefit beyond approximately 7,500 daily steps in the measures they examined.

How walking is linked to Alzheimer’s-related changes

To understand the relationship between physical activity and brain health, researchers followed 296 adults who were cognitively healthy at the beginning of the study. They were on average around 70 years old and wore step counters to track their daily activity. The researchers also tracked changes in their brains and cognitive abilities using scans and assessments.


Some participants already had higher levels of amyloid-beta, a protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease, despite having no significant cognitive impairment.

Researchers examined the accumulation of amyloid-beta and tau, another protein linked to the disease. While walking was not associated with a reduction in amyloid accumulation, greater physical activity was associated with slower tau buildup among participants who already had elevated amyloid levels.

Tau accumulation is particularly important because abnormal levels of the protein are closely linked to worsening memory, cognitive decline and difficulties with everyday activities.

The findings suggest that physical activity may be associated with changes in the brain itself, rather than its potential benefits being limited to improved heart health and blood circulation. However, the study does not establish that walking directly slows Alzheimer’s disease.

How many steps could make a difference?

One of the most encouraging findings was that the association with slower cognitive decline appeared at a relatively low daily step count.

People who walked between 3,000 and 5,000 steps a day showed slower cognitive decline than those who were less active. The association was stronger among participants who walked between 5,000 and 7,500 steps daily. Beyond that range, researchers found no clear additional gains in the measures examined.

ScienceDaily reported that the differences in cognitive decline between active and sedentary participants were equivalent to about three years for those walking 3,000 to 5,000 steps daily and about seven years for those taking 5,000 to 7,500 steps.

These figures reflect differences found in the study and should not be interpreted as a guarantee that walking will delay Alzheimer’s disease by a specific number of years.