Forget 10,000 steps — just 4,000 steps a day could lower your risk of dying early, research shows

• Walking is even healthier than we thought, linked to significantly lower risk of early death.
• Just 2,300 to 4,000 steps per day can get you started on a healthier lifestyle.

There's growing evidence that you don't need to walk 10,000 steps a day to improve your health — and now the biggest analysis of its kind supports the idea that shorter walks could be key to living longer.

A total of just 4,000 steps throughout the day — about 30 to 45 minutes total — is enough to reduce your risk of dying early, according to a study published August 8 in the European Journal of Preventive Cardiology. And even 2,300 total steps per day (or about 15 to 20 minutes of walking) was linked to lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of death in the US.

That's significantly less than previously thought, according to the study's authors, researchers from more than half a dozen global institutions, including the Medical University of Lodz in Poland, and Johns Hopkins University.

The researchers looked at data from more than 200,000 people over an average follow-up of seven years via 17 different studies from around the world, making this the largest analysis of its kind.

They found that daily walking is strongly linked to better odds of living a longer, healthier life. And more walking leads to even more health benefits, regardless of your age, gender, or where in the world you live, according to Maciej Banach, lead author of the study and professor at Medical University of Lodz and Johns Hopkins University.

"Our study confirms that the more you walk, the better," Banach said in a press release.

Adding an extra 1,000 steps per day is linked to 15% lower risk of dying early from any cause, according to the researchers, while an extra 500 steps per day is linked to 7% lower risk of fatal heart disease.

The health benefits continued to increase up to 20,000 steps per day (the highest number included in the study) and may even extend beyond that, since researchers noted that they haven't yet found an upper limit.

The caveat is that the link between walking and health benefits is observational, which means more research is needed to confirm that walking directly causes a reduced risk of disease and early death.

But based on what we know now, it's worthwhile to include walking as part of a healthy lifestyle to prevent serious health issues like heart disease, since diet and exercise may be as effective in extending our lifespan as some medications, Banach said in the press release.

Short exercise sessions are a science-backed way to improve health, mood and energy

The most recent study is supported by a strong body of evidence that quick breaks for simple exercises like walking can add up to big health benefits, even without spending long hours in the gym.

Research shows that walking can help reduce stress and anxiety, improve heart health, and boost energy. But the typical goal of 10,000 steps per day is a bit arbitrary, based more on a marketing campaign than science, and 7,000 to 8,000 daily steps has plenty of benefits.

Some studies also suggest walking at a brisk pace has benefits in even less time, helping to prevent diseases such as cancer in as little as 2,000 to 3,800 steps per day.

Emerging evidence also suggests that other types of exercise can also be healthful in small doses. Quick bursts of heart-pumping exercise, like taking the stairs or running for the bus, were found to reduce the risk of early death.

And body weight exercises like wall sits or plank holds have been linked to better blood pressure.

All the evidence adds up to compelling reasons to fit in a quick workout at least a few times per week, even if you're short on time or on the go.