Guides · Running and cardio · Updated 2026-10-22
How many steps a day do I really need?
You don't need exactly 10,000. A 2022 analysis of 15 studies found the risk of early death kept falling as daily steps rose, then leveled off around 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day for adults 60 and older and around 8,000 to 10,000 for younger adults. If you're below that, adding even a couple of thousand steps a day is worthwhile.
What the research found
In 2022, researchers pooled 15 studies covering about 47,000 adults. People who took more steps a day had a lower risk of dying early, up to a point:
| Age | Where the benefit leveled off |
|---|---|
| Under 60 | About 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day |
| 60 and older | About 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day |
They didn’t find that walking faster added much on top of the number of steps.
Easy ways to add steps
- Take a 10-minute walk after meals.
- Walk during phone calls.
- Park further away, or get off a stop early.
- Take the stairs for a floor or two.
Make it count as exercise
For a cardio workout, walk briskly enough that you can talk but not sing. That’s moderate intensity, and it counts toward the US guideline of 150 to 300 minutes a week.
Also asked
Where did 10,000 steps come from?
It's a round number that became popular decades ago, before most of the research. It's a fine goal, but the benefits start well below it.
Does walking help with weight loss?
Walking burns calories and is easy to keep up, so it helps. Weight loss still depends mostly on how much you eat.
Do steps count as exercise?
Brisk walking counts toward the 150 to 300 minutes of moderate activity a week in the US guidelines. Slow strolling helps less but still beats sitting.