Walking just 6,000 steps a day could reduce the risk of early death in people over 60, a study has found. Taking more than 8,000 steps, however, has no added benefit in reducing this risk, according to researchers from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

The findings, published in the Lancet Public Health Journal, showed those under 60 should aim for between 8,000 and 10,000 steps a day. 10,000 steps a day has no grounding in science, Dr Amanda Pauluch, co-author of the study, said. The often quoted mantra of 10,000 steps a day had no grounding in science and came from a 1964 Japanese marketing campaign to sell pedometers.

In the over-60s, the risk of premature death levelled off at about between 6,000 and 8,000 daily steps, with more steps having no added benefit. Walking speed had no definitive link with the reduction in risk, the team said. The major takeaway is there’s a lot of evidence suggesting that moving even a little more is beneficial, particularly for those who are doing very little activity.