Health Debunked: Do You Need to Take 10,000 Steps a Day?
Key takeaways:
A Japanese pedometer company created the 10,000 daily step goal for a marketing campaign.
Taking 10,000 steps a day is beneficial. But it’s not the magic number everyone needs to aim for.
Research shows that you can benefit from taking as few as 4,400 steps per day — and, for many, walking between 9,000 and 10,500 steps may provide the greatest benefit.
Table of contents
You’ve probably heard that you should take at least 10,000 steps per day. If you have an Apple Watch or a Fitbit, it’s possible you’ve even chased that daily step count. And, if so, you’ve likely felt a sense of accomplishment — or frustration — when you closed those rings or came up short.
But what’s the reason for this very specific goal? Is it based on science? Or is it just an arbitrary number that someone came up with and that stuck?
Is walking good for you?
Before we look at the daily step goal, let’s talk about walking as a form of exercise.
Search and compare options
Walking might not get your heart pumping as much as high-intensity exercises. But it comes with many health benefits. Even very small increases in walking (as few as 4 blocks per day) can boost your health, especially if you’re not getting much exercise daily.
“Walking is a great way to knock your cardio out while burning ample calories and fat,” said Dr. Matt Tanneberg, a strength and conditioning specialist in Scottsdale, Arizona. “Walking burns off calories, just as running does, and is significantly easier on your joints and body.”
In addition to the sustained calorie burn you’ll get, walking is also excellent for your physical health. Dr. Marisa Mickey, assistant professor of exercise science at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts, points to the numerous benefits of walking. It helps decrease your risk of a range of conditions, she said, including:
Cardiovascular disease
Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
Obesity
Walking also boosts your cognitive function, cardiovascular fitness, and muscular fitness, she said.
Claim: You need 10,000 steps a day to improve your health
But do you need to take 10,000 steps to reap the benefits of walking? And where did the advice to take 10,000 steps per day come from?
“The goal of 10,000 steps per day was initially created by a marketing campaign rather than through scientific evidence,” said Dr. Mickey.
Want to boost your step count? Try these simple strategies to get more steps per day.
Taking 10,000 steps a day isn't right for everyone. But one woman did it every day for a year. Find out what she learned.
Need to shake up your walking routine? Take your walking workouts to the next level with these exercise tips.
A report in JAMA Internal Medicine confirms that this likely originated from the name of the first wearable pedometer that was sold in 1965 by Japanese brand Yamasa Clock and Instrument Company. The pedometer was called “Manpo-kei,” which translates to 10,000 steps meter.
What are the recommended step counts by age?
There isn't an official daily step count recommendation by age. But general guidelines suggest the following step counts:
Adults under 60 years old: 8,000 to 10,000 steps
Adults over 60 years old: 6,000 to 8,000 steps
Read more like this
Explore these related articles, suggested for readers like you.
But remember, these are general guidelines. It's important to adjust your physical activity based on your health and fitness needs.
What does the science say?
While there are certainly benefits to walking more, 10,000 steps per day isn’t a magic number. But it might be a reasonable goal. The evidence to date is only observational, and it’s a bit conflicting.
The JAMA cohort study observed more than 16,000 women over a 4-year period. The researchers found that for older women, 4,400 steps per day significantly lowered mortality rates compared to taking just 2,700 steps per day.
The health benefits continued to increase with higher step numbers. But, eventually, the benefits leveled out at 7,500 daily steps. The intensity of the steps, meaning how fast the women walked, wasn’t significant. In other words, even casual walking was beneficial.
In another large study, researchers compared the risk of mortality among three groups:
Those who took fewer than 7,000 steps per day
Those who took between 7,000 and 9,999 steps per day
Those who took 10,000 or more steps per day
They found that those who took more than 7,000 steps per day had better health outcomes than the group who took fewer than 7,000 steps per day. However, there was no significant difference between 7,000 and 10,000 or more steps.
Most recently, a large study confirmed the link between walking and low mortality risk. The researchers compared the number of steps across different groups based on how active or sedentary they were each day. They concluded that the optimal number of steps per day was between 9,000 and 10,500 — but as few as 4,000 steps could be beneficial.
The study also showed a low risk of death and cardiovascular disease in all groups regardless of activity level.
Keep in mind: This is what’s known as an observational study. In other words, it shows that step count is linked to a lower risk of death and cardiovascular disease. It doesn’t establish cause and effect.
What do the experts say?
The experts are on the same page as the science: Your health isn’t just about how many steps you do — or don’t — take per day.
“The goal of fitness and exercise is to better yourself physically and to mentally decompress,” said Dr. Tanneberg. “If you’re able to hit 10,000 steps per day, that’s great. However, don't stress about not always hitting that number.”
Dr. Mickey agrees: There’s no specific daily step number you should be aiming for, and any activity is better than no activity. If someone isn’t active, then “as few as 4,000 steps per day” can have positive effects, she said.
Also, Dr. Mickey said, some people aren’t able to take 10,000 steps per day, so it isn’t a reasonable goal for all people.
In short, any activity is good activity, so try not to get caught up in specific numbers. Instead, make it a goal to move your body daily — whether that means walking or engaging in other types of exercise.
What other low-impact exercises can you try?
If you’d rather switch up your cardio, but prefer to stick to low-impact exercises, Dr. Tanneberg recommends the elliptical machine, biking, or swimming. All three are low-impact, meaning less pressure on your joints. Plus, they’re great ways to get your cardio, he said.
Frequently asked questions
Research suggests that adding 2,000 to 2,500 steps per day can support modest weight loss. But the exact number of steps you should take to support your weight loss goals depends on your walking pace, current weight, and other factors. So it's important to choose a healthy weight loss plan –– including a balanced diet and regular exercise –– that works for you.
It depends on individual factors such as your walking speed, current weight, and fitness level. And there’s no guarantee that taking 10,000 steps a day causes weight loss.
Healthy, sustainable weight loss requires lifestyle changes, such as:
Eating a balanced diet with nourishing foods
Getting regular exercise or physical activity
Addressing stress and mental health challenges
Experts recommend gradual weight loss, around 1 lb to 2 lbs per week. Your daily step count should be part of a complete weight loss plan to help you hit that target.
Yes, walking can help you lose body fat, especially when paired with a balanced diet. But you can't target fat loss to a specific area. Regular exercise, such as walking, can help reduce total body fat, including fat around the belly.
The bottom line
While there are health benefits of walking 10,000 steps per day, it’s not a necessary goal for everyone. Research suggests that as few as 4,400 daily steps can begin to reduce the risk of mortality. It’s more important to focus on moving your body every day rather than a specific number. In other words, shoot for 10,000 daily steps if it motivates you. But it doesn’t have to be the sole measure of your success.
Why trust our experts?
References
Ahmadi M. N., et al. (2024). Do the associations of daily steps with mortality and incident cardiovascular disease differ by sedentary time levels? A device-based cohort study. British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Benefits of physical activity.
Diehr, P., et al. (2010). Health benefits of increased walking for sedentary, generally healthy older adults: Using longitudinal data to approximate an intervention trial. Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences.
Hong, H. R., et al. (2014). Effect of walking exercise on abdominal fat, insulin resistance and serum cytokines in obese women. Journal of Exercise Nutrition & Biochemistry.
Lee, I. M., et al. (2019). Association of step volume and intensity with all-cause mortality in older women. JAMA Internal Medicine.
Madjd, A., et al. (2019). Effect of a long bout versus short bouts of walking on weight loss during a weight-loss diet: A randomized trial. Obesity.
Paluch, A. E., et al. (2021). Steps per day and all-cause mortality in middle-aged adults in the coronary artery risk development in young adults study. JAMA Network Open.
Tudor-Locke, C., et al. (2011). How many steps/day are enough? For adults. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.
Zhao, W., et al. (2015). Health benefits of daily walking on mortality among younger-elderly men with or without major critical diseases in the new integrated suburban seniority investigation project: A prospective cohort study. Journal of Epidemiology.
