How Many Steps Should We Do A Day?

We all know that movement is good for us, and walking can be one of the easiest and most convenient ways for us to bring more movement into our daily lives.

We have all been told that we should aim for 10,000 steps a day. But where did this number come from?

The idea of walking 10,000 steps a day actually comes from a successful marketing campaign launched ahead of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The number was chosen because the Japanese character for 10,000 resembles a person walking. The idea of 10,000 steps a day caught on, and now we think of this number as the standard to reach.

Depending on your stride length, 10,000 steps is almost five miles (eight kilometres). It could take the average person between one and two hours to walk 10,000 steps if done all at once. Walking 10,000 steps also burns between 300 and 800 calories, on average.

Why is walking a good form of exercise?

• It is free.

• It can be done almost anywhere.

• No equipment required.

• Low-impact.

But is 10,000 steps the gold standard for health?

The European Journal of Preventative Cardiology published research in 2023 that aggregated results from 17 previous studies, finding that as few as 2,337 steps a day was enough to lessen the risk of dying from heart and circulatory diseases. Later results suggested that in people aged 60 and over, the largest benefits were seen in groups walking between 6,000 and 10,000 steps per day. For younger groups, the optimal number was estimated to be between 7,000 and 13,000 steps.

Separate research studies have also found that walking 9,800 steps a day is enough to lower the risk of dementia by 50%, as well as one study suggesting a link between walking and a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and stroke.

Modern life often makes it difficult to reach the 10,000 step goal, with your job, fitness level and age all determining what is “normal” for you and what you should aim to achieve, with women averaging 4,912 steps per day and men averaging 5,340 steps.

Steps are a great baseline for any fitness routine. If you are less active and want to increase your activity level, setting a goal you know you can meet and building on that over time is the best way to introduce positive changes that last.

You do not need to hit 10,000 steps in order to reap the benefits of movement. It is the movement itself that benefits you.