How many steps a day should you walk?
Quick Answer
Around 7,000 to 8,000 steps a day gives most of the health benefits; the famous 10,000-step goal began as a 1960s Japanese marketing slogan.
The Full Story
The 10,000 target traces back to a pedometer sold in Japan around the 1964 Tokyo Olympics called the manpo-kei, which means 10,000-step meter. Modern research shows benefits start well below that. A 2025 review in The Lancet Public Health, pooling data from 57 studies, found that walking about 7,000 steps a day was linked to a 47 percent lower risk of early death compared with 2,000 steps. Gains continue past 7,000 but more slowly, and for older adults the benefits tend to level off around 6,000 to 8,000 steps. Walking at a brisk pace brings extra benefits for the heart.
Key Facts
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Suggested video title for this topic:
"Is 10,000 Steps a Myth? What Science Really Says"