Tools · Walking in numbers
How many steps a day are enough? By age, with sources
For adults under 60 the health benefit levels off around 8,000–10,000 steps a day; over 60, around 6,000–8,000. The famous 10,000 is a 1960s marketing number — a fine goal, but not a threshold.
Updated 2026-09-06
Recommended daily steps by age
Ranges where studies see the benefit plateau or where guidelines set a healthy target.
| Age group | Steps / day | Source and notes |
|---|---|---|
| Children, 6–11 | 12,000–15,000 | Girls ~11,000–12,000, boys ~13,000–15,000 (Tudor-Locke 2011) |
| Adolescents, 12–19 | 10,000–11,700 | Tudor-Locke 2011 |
| Adults, 20–59 | 8,000–10,000 | Mortality benefit levels off around here (Paluch 2022) |
| Adults, 60+ | 6,000–8,000 | Benefit levels off lower with age (Paluch 2022; Lee 2019) |
| Adults with chronic conditions | 6,500–8,500 | Individualised; consult a clinician (Tudor-Locke 2011) |
Activity levels for adults
The classification most step-count research uses (Tudor-Locke).
| Level | Steps / day |
|---|---|
| Sedentary | < 5,000 |
| Low active | 5,000–7,499 |
| Somewhat active | 7,500–9,999 |
| Active | 10,000–12,499 |
| Highly active | ≥ 12,500 |
Where 10,000 came from
In 1965 a Japanese company sold a pedometer called manpo-kei — literally “10,000-step meter”. The number was chosen because it sounded good and the character for 10,000 looks like a walking person. It stuck for sixty years before anyone tested it.
When researchers finally did, the picture was more useful than a single number: the steepest gains happen when very inactive people add a few thousand steps, the curve flattens around 8,000–10,000 for younger adults and 6,000–8,000 for older ones, and going well beyond that does no harm but adds little for longevity. A 2020 study of 4,800 US adults found 8,000 steps a day associated with about half the all-cause mortality of 4,000.
How to pick your own goal
- Look at your real average over the last 2–4 weeks — it is already in Apple Health.
- Add 1,000–2,000 steps to that. A goal you hit five days a week beats one you hit once.
- Once that is routine for a month, add another 1,000, up to the range for your age.
- Count the weekly total, not just the day. A rest day is not a failure.
Goals in Podo
Podo shows your 7-day and 28-day averages so the goal is based on what you actually walk. The daily goal fills the steps ring; weekly goals count how many days you hit it and keep a streak, with a streak freeze for the week life got in the way. Personal records for the best day, week and month are tracked automatically.
Common questions
Is 10,000 steps a day necessary?
No. The number comes from a 1960s Japanese pedometer marketing campaign, not from research. Large studies since then find most of the health benefit between 7,000 and 10,000 steps for adults under 60, and between 6,000 and 8,000 for people over 60.
Is 5,000 steps a day enough?
It is better than 2,000–3,000 — the biggest gains happen at the low end — but it still counts as “low active”. Adding 1,000–2,000 steps a day is the change with the best return.
Does walking faster matter more than step count?
Total steps matter most. Once step count is accounted for, pace adds a small extra benefit in some studies and none in others. Aim for volume first, then intensity.
How many steps should a 70-year-old walk?
Around 6,000–8,000 a day. Studies of older adults show the mortality benefit levelling off in that range; more is fine, but not required for the health effect.
Sources
- Tudor-Locke C. et al. How many steps/day are enough? For adults. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act, 2011. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-8-79
- Tudor-Locke C. et al. How many steps/day are enough? For children and adolescents. IJBNPA, 2011. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-8-78
- Tudor-Locke C. et al. How many steps/day are enough? For older adults and special populations. IJBNPA, 2011. doi:10.1186/1479-5868-8-80
- Paluch A.E. et al. Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. Lancet Public Health, 2022. doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00302-9
- Lee I.-M. et al. Association of step volume and intensity with all-cause mortality in older women. JAMA Intern Med, 2019. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.0899
- Saint-Maurice P.F. et al. Association of daily step count and step intensity with mortality among US adults. JAMA, 2020. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.1382
This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have a condition that affects how much you should walk, ask a clinician.