Why everything you think you know about your daily step count is wrong

The latest study says that you only need to hit 5,000 steps three times a week to see a health benefit – but does that really mean we can forget the mantra of 10,000 steps a day keeps the doctor away? Anna Magee digs into the science with some surprising results...

Walks of life: getting even a small move on could directly increase how long we live (Getty)

It is one of those health messages that has become lodged into our public health consciousness. But despite us being told to aim for 10,000 steps a day, the average British person still only takes between 3-4,000 steps a day, according to the NHS. And those who work from home could be taking much less.

So, the new research from the London School of Economics (LSE) showing that walking 5,000 steps three times a week could add three years to your life will be welcome news for many. It seems that finally there is something that most of us can happily achieve without too much extra effort.

A third of us are currently considered inactive because we do less than the government’s guidelines of 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week, the equivalent of 20 minutes – approximately 2,400 steps – walking a day. The LSE research found that regular walking for more than two years adds 2.5 years to the life expectancy of physically inactive men and three years for inactive women.