Harvard study: 4,000 steps once or twice a week cuts death risk by 27%

A 2025 study by researchers at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital found that walking 10,000 steps daily is not necessary to stay healthy. Walking just 4,000 steps one or two days a week is enough to reduce the risk of death from any cause by 27 percent. The findings challenge widely held assumptions about the minimum amount of physical activity needed.