194. The Power of 7,000 Steps a Day

We spend so much time chasing big fitness goals that we often overlook one of the simplest tools for better health: walking. Not a marathon. Not a perfectly structured training routine. Just consistent steps.

Dr. Andrew Fix breaks down new research that challenges the long-held belief that 10,000 steps a day is the gold standard. The truth is, you can change your health trajectory with just 7,000. That one shift, from aiming for perfection to aiming for consistency, is linked to lower mortality rates from cardiovascular disease and cancer, reduced risk of diabetes and dementia, and better protection against depression and falls. Walking becomes more than exercise — it’s one of the most accessible ways to extend longevity. And contrary to what we often hear, movement doesn’t wear your body down; it protects it. Even conditions like arthritis improve when you build strength and keep your body moving.

This episode is a reminder that taking care of your health doesn’t always require intensity, just intention. If something as simple as daily walking could lower your mortality risk and give you more years of active longevity, what would it look like to treat those extra steps as non-negotiable?

Quotes

• “If we are living longer and our lifespan is longer, but we're not actually enjoying and using those later years to do anything productive… I don't want that. I don't want to just live and not be able to do anything.” (06:26 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “Moving is important… you don’t have to feel like you're not being productive with your health if you're not quite hitting the 10,000.” (07:08 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “The name of the game here is consistency. We need to be able to consistently keep doing this day after day.” (07:51 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “The truth of the matter is we need to get the steps. We need to build strength and do activities with the muscles of our legs. And that's what's going to help those joints continue to function and thrive under the activities that you want to do.” (08:53 | Dr. Andrew Fix)
• “Getting more than 7,000 steps a day can really help reduce dysfunction, reduce the limitations that we have, and reduce the risk of these conditions we can largely prevent.” (10:40 | Dr. Andrew Fix)

Links

New Study Reimagines the Relationship Between Daily Steps and Health Outcomes | APTA

6,000 Steps A Day Keeps Knee OA Limitations Away | Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences

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