Walking more every day is linked to living longer and having a healthier heart, and you get the biggest benefits just by going from very few steps to a moderate amount — after that, more walking still helps, but less and less each time.

Walking more every day is linked to a lower chance of dying from heart problems. Every extra 500 steps you take daily may cut your risk by 7%, and the more you walk, the better the protection—starting from as little as 2,300 steps a day.

How walking every day affects your risk of dying can depend on who you are, how steps are measured, and where you live — it's not the same for everyone, everywhere.

Walking more every day is linked to living longer for most adults, but how we measure steps and who we study can change how strong that link looks.

If older women walk more steps each day—like 5,000 to 7,000 or more—even just a few days a week, they tend to live longer, and the more often they hit those step goals, the better their odds.