Can Walking 10,000 Steps Every Day Really Prevent Cancer?

Walking is one of the simplest and most accessible forms of exercise, offering a range of benefits for physical and mental health. Regular walks can improve cardiovascular health, help maintain a healthy weight, ease symptoms of anxiety and depression, and increase bone density.

Several studies suggest that regular walking can reduce the risk of various types of cancer. However, some believe these benefits only begin after walking 10,000 steps a day. Is that true?

Oncologist Dr Vartika Vishwani said the claim is not entirely accurate. She said walking can help reduce cancer risk even before a person reaches 10,000 steps a day.

Vishwani cited a 2025 study that tracked 85,000 participants in the UK using activity monitors. Researchers examined the relationship between daily step counts and cancer risk.

“Compared with 5,000 steps a day, walking 7,000 steps can reduce cancer risk by 11 per cent. Walking 9,000 steps can reduce it by 16 per cent. The relationship begins to level off when the daily step count reaches around 9,000,” Vishwani said, as quoted by NDTV on Thursday (15 October 2026).

According to Vishwani, walking may help protect the body against cancer in several ways. These include reducing systemic inflammation, improving insulin sensitivity and metabolic health, helping with weight management—obesity is a major risk factor for several cancers—and supporting the immune system in detecting and targeting abnormal cells at an early stage.

The 10,000-steps-a-day benchmark actually originated in a marketing campaign in Japan in the 1960s. Over time, it was adopted as a general guideline for maintaining an active lifestyle. The target is seen as a way to encourage people to move more and gain various health benefits without having to undertake strenuous exercise.

Even so, reaching 10,000 steps every day is not easy for everyone. Work commitments, limited time and physical condition can all make it difficult to meet the target consistently.