How many steps a day to lose weight and stay healthy
In short
- For health, adults under 60 benefit up to about 8,000-10,000 steps a day, adults 60 and older up to 6,000-8,000.
- The 10,000 number came from a 1965 Japanese pedometer ad, not from research.
- 10,000 steps is about 5 miles (8 km) and roughly 300 kcal above resting burn for a 154 lb (70 kg) person.
- Steps help weight loss, but the calorie deficit in your diet decides the result.
Adults under 60 get most of the health benefit from walking by about 8,000-10,000 steps a day, and adults 60 and older by 6,000-8,000. That is the finding of a meta-analysis of 15 studies with 47,471 people (Paluch and colleagues, 2022): above these numbers, the risk of death from any cause barely drops further. 10,000 steps is about 5 miles and roughly 300 kcal above resting burn.
Where 10,000 steps came from
The number appeared in Japan in 1965 as the name of a pedometer, "manpo-kei", which means "10,000 steps meter". It was a catchy marketing name, not a research result. Later studies tested it and found it reasonable, but not magic.
How many steps a day for health
| Age | Steps a day | What research shows |
|---|---|---|
| Under 60 | 8,000-10,000 | lower risk of death, little extra benefit above 10,000 |
| 60 and older | 6,000-8,000 | most of the benefit by 6,000-8,000 |
| Mostly sitting | under 5,000 | the starting point for adding steps |
In a study by Saint-Maurice and colleagues (2020), 4,840 US adults wore a step counter for a week and were followed for about 10 years. People taking 8,000 steps a day had a 51% lower risk of death than those taking 4,000. A review by Tudor-Locke and colleagues (2011) found that 7,000-8,000 steps a day roughly matches the recommended 150 minutes of moderate activity a week.
How many calories steps burn
Energy cost comes from the Compendium of Physical Activities (Ainsworth and colleagues, 2011). Walking at a normal pace of about 3 mph (5 km/h) is rated at 3.5 MET, or 3.5 times resting energy use. At about 100 steps a minute, a 154 lb (70 kg) person burns about 43 kcal per 1,000 steps, of which about 31 kcal is above resting burn.
| Steps | Minutes of walking | Above resting, kcal | Total, kcal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5,000 | 50 | about 150 | about 215 |
| 8,000 | 80 | about 245 | about 345 |
| 10,000 | 100 | about 305 | about 430 |
| 15,000 | 150 | about 460 | about 645 |
These numbers are for 154 lb (70 kg). For your own weight and pace, use the calories burned calculator.
How many steps a day to lose weight
Steps help, but less than watch numbers suggest. 10,000 steps add about 300 kcal of extra burn, and a glazed doughnut has about 250 kcal. The core of weight loss is the calorie deficit, while steps make it easier and keep your body from slowing down on a diet.
A practical target for weight loss is 8,000-10,000 steps a day on top of a moderate deficit and strength training two or three times a week.
How to walk more every day
- Start from where you are. Check your weekly average on your phone and add 1,000 steps a day each week.
- Build walking into the day. Walk part of the commute, take calls on the move, use the stairs.
- Walk after meals. 10-15 minutes after lunch and dinner add 2,000-3,000 steps.
- Pick up the pace. Brisk walking at 3-3.5 mph (5-5.5 km/h) works the heart harder and burns more in the same time.
Bottom line
Aim for 8,000 steps a day under 60 and 6,000 from 60, add a thousand a week and walk part of them briskly. Count weight loss in calories, not in steps.
Tonus sets a daily step goal by age, following the Paluch meta-analysis: 8,000 steps under 60 and 6,000 from 60. Steps come in from Apple Health, and workout calories can be added to the day's calorie target.
Frequently asked questions
How many miles is 10,000 steps?
About 4-5 miles (7-8 km) at a normal stride of 2.3-2.6 ft (70-80 cm). Taller people with a longer stride cover more distance.
How many calories do 10,000 steps burn?
For a 154 lb (70 kg) person about 300 kcal above resting burn, roughly 100 minutes of walking. Counting resting burn for that time, the total is about 430 kcal.
Is walking enough to lose weight?
Walking helps, but on its own it rarely creates a big enough deficit. Combined with a moderate calorie deficit and strength training it works well.
Sources
- Paluch A. E. et al. Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. Lancet Public Health, 2022 doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00302-9
- Saint-Maurice P. F. et al. Association of daily step count and step intensity with mortality among US adults. JAMA, 2020 doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.1382
- Tudor-Locke C. et al. How many steps/day are enough? for adults. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act, 2011 doi.org/10.1186/1479-5868-8-79
- Ainsworth B. E. et al. 2011 Compendium of Physical Activities. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2011 doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e31821ece12
This article is for general information and does not replace medical advice.
