How Many Steps Should I Walk in a Day?

Five hundred more steps than you currently are walking.

I’m kidding. Well, not really. But sort of. Let me explain.

The advice to walk 10,000 steps a day is incredibly common. But where did the advice come from? Why should I take that advice? More importantly, what can I take from this advice to improve my life?

Before we look at those questions, my short answer to the question, “How Many Steps Should I Walk in a Day?” needs a little explaining. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans says, “Adults should move more and sit less throughout the day.”¹

There is no mention of any specific number of steps in the guidelines, just “move more.” You could maybe add 500 more steps, or maybe add 50 steps. Whatever amount you are currently moving, you can probably move a little more (up to a point, of course).

Where Did the 10,000 Steps per Day Advice Come From?

The 10,000 steps a day advice has been around since 1965 with the introduction of the first commercial pedometer.² The Yamasa company named the device manpo-kei (10,000 steps meter).

It was believed at the time that 10,000 steps was equivalent to the amount of physical activity sufficient to decrease the risk of coronary heart disease.³ More research has been done in the past 60 years. Links have been found between increasing steps per day and reduced risk from cardiovascular disease events and type 2 diabetes.⁴ However, nothing suggests there is any importance to the number 10,000.

How Important Is a Steps-per-Day Goal?

If having a steps-per-day goal motivates you to move more and to get the benefits of daily movement, it is a very good thing. If the steps-per-day goal stresses you out, leads you to feel bad about yourself, or demotivates you, then toss it out!

It is physical activity of all types, not steps specifically, that is associated with a wide range of health benefits.⁴ Therefore, you do not need to have a step goal if you don’t want one.

However, a step goal does have benefits:

• It provides incentive to park at the far end of the parking lot, take the stairs, and make other simple changes that increase your physical activity.

• It is an objective measure you can use to track trends. Am I more active now than three months ago?

• Steps are easy to understand.

Keep in mind these two things:

• A step goal that is achievable is more important than any specific step goal.

• Even “more” is only better to a point!

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Note: If you’d like to increase your steps per day by beginning a regular walking plan, try my Couch to 5K Walk plan.

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1. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition. page 68. https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf

2. Yamasa Tokei Keiki Co., Ltd. “About Us.” http://www.yamax-yamasa.com/aboutus/

3. Bassett, David R Jr et al. “Step Counting: A Review of Measurement Considerations and Health-Related Applications.” Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) vol. 47,7 (2017): 1303-1315. doi:10.1007/s40279-016-0663-1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5488109/

4. 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report. Part F. Chapter 1. Physical Activity Behaviors: Steps, Bouts, and High Intensity Training https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/07_F-1_Physical-Activity_Behaviors_Steps_Bouts_and_High_Intensity_Training.pdf