Aerobic exercise also affects brain health: how many steps a day should you walk?

Aerobic exercise is already widely known to support cardiorespiratory health and weight management. As the population ages and interest in preventing Dementia grows, a series of recent studies has reported that aerobic exercise also benefits overall brain health, including Dementia prevention, bringing renewed attention to the value of everyday walking.
A joint research team from Harvard Medical School and Mass General Brigham recently reported in the international journal Nature Medicine that walking can slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). They followed adults aged 50 to 90 with normal cognitive function for up to 14 years and found that walking just 3,000 to 5,000 steps a day could delay the onset of cognitive decline by about three years.
The benefits of walking were especially pronounced between 5,000 and 7,500 steps a day. At this level, the accumulation of tau protein, which is involved in the destruction of brain cells, was slowed, and the pace of cognitive decline was delayed by up to seven years. In contrast, the least active group, walking fewer than 3,000 steps a day, showed the fastest cognitive decline.
An analysis of data from the health management app CashWalk showed that, as of 2025, users in Korea in their 50s to 80s walked an average of about 6,660 steps per day. This places them comfortably within the 5,000–7,500 step range identified as the peak zone for preventing cognitive decline. The findings suggest that the everyday walking habits of Koreans, including middle-aged and older adults, are playing a positive role in maintaining brain health.
Seung-eun Jeong, an advisory physician at Nudge Healthcare, said, "Considering that recent studies have identified 5,000 to 7,500 steps a day as the peak range for protecting cognitive function, the everyday walking levels of older adults in Korea are encouraging." Jeong emphasized, "What matters more than special exercise routines is how consistently people can maintain their current, healthy walking habits in daily life."
Jeong added, "Small habits such as getting off the bus one stop early to walk, or taking the stairs, are forms of 'micro walking' that help people sustain an optimal step count without much effort." Jeong continued, "If people use smartphone applications to track their activity and enjoy the rewards they offer, walking for brain health is more likely to become a long-term lifestyle habit rather than a short-lived effort."
Seung-eun Jeong, advisory physician at Nudge Healthcare


kim091@fnnews.com Reporter Young-kwon Kim Reporter