How many steps a day do you really need?
The 10,000 steps figure came from marketing. What studies say about how many steps a day make a difference, depending on your age.
3 min read
The short answer
Between 8,000 and 10,000 steps a day if you are under 60, and between 6,000 and 8,000 if you are older. Beyond that, more steps add very little extra benefit.
The figure comes from a meta-analysis of 15 studies covering about 47,000 adults: the risk of death fell with each band of steps until it levelled off in those ranges.
Where the 10,000 came from
From the campaign for a Japanese pedometer in the sixties, not from a study. It is a round number that is easy to remember, but it is not a threshold: someone taking 6,000 is already getting much of the benefit.
If you are starting from very few
What counts most is the first jump. Going from 3,000 to 5,000 steps a day has more effect than going from 9,000 to 11,000. Add a thousand at a time, and hold each level for a couple of weeks.
How Welfitlab applies it
Every plan includes a daily step goal based on where you start and your age, and it rises as you pass challenges. You log it in ranges, no watch needed: a glance at your phone at the end of the day is enough.
Sources
This text is for information only and is not a substitute for advice from a healthcare professional.