I hope you enjoyed a square or two of dark chocolate over Valentine’s. I know I did.
This week, I want to return to a topic we explored recently, but from a slightly different angle. At the start of January, we looked at walking and the idea that steps need to be meaningful rather than simply ticking up numbers on a fitness tracker. It’s easy to glance at the total step count and assume you’ve done enough. But the conclusion was that a good proportion of those steps should be more purposeful, ideally in bouts of at least ten minutes, to make a meaningful difference.
For years, many of us have been chasing the benchmark of 10,000 steps a day to keep our health in check. Let’s be honest, that can feel like a stretch on some days. The encouraging news is that new research linked to this topic suggests the number of steps that may support long-term brain health is probably lower than most people think.
So yes, it remains important to make some of those steps purposeful. But the overall number required to support long-term brain health may be more achievable than many of us have been led to believe.
What the Research Shows
A large long-term study followed nearly 300 cognitively healthy adults aged between 50 and 90. Participants wore activity trackers to measure their daily step counts and underwent brain imaging to assess the accumulation of tau protein, a key marker of Alzheimer ’s-related decline. Cognitive performance was also tracked over time.
The findings were striking. Individuals walking between approximately 5,000 and 7,500 steps per day showed significantly slower accumulation of tau compared to those with very low daily step counts. Cognitive decline also appeared to progress more slowly within this moderate range.
Perhaps most encouraging was that benefits were observed even with relatively small increases in movement. Moving from fewer than 3,000 steps per day to between 3,500 and 5,000 was associated with measurable differences. Beyond roughly 7,500 steps per day, the association appeared to plateau.
In other words, there appears to be a meaningful middle ground.
The Sweet Spot for the Brain
This was observational research, so it does not prove that walking directly reduces tau buildup. However, it adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that moderate, consistent movement influences how the brain responds to ageing-related stress.
It also reinforces a broader biological principle. Too little movement creates stagnation. Excessive intensity can introduce strain. But steady, moderate input often supports sustainable adaptation.
Walking supports vascular flow, blood sugar regulation and mitochondrial function, all of which are closely tied to long-term brain resilience. When viewed through that lens, 5,000 steps is not simply a fitness target. It is a biological signal.
The reassuring message here is not that we must do more, but that we may not need to. Consistent, moderate movement appears to be enough to send the right signals.
Meaningful bursts still matter. But perhaps we can let go of the pressure to chase 10,000 steps at all costs.
Small, steady steps quite literally add up.
As always, thank you for reading. If you’d like to dive deeper into why walking is such a powerful foundation for health, you can read more here: The Incredible Health Benefits of Walking: Science-Backed Reasons to Get Moving
