How Many Steps Should You Walk in a Day? The Truth Behind the 10,000-Step Goal
How Many Steps Should You Walk in a Day? The Truth Behind the 10,000-Step Goal
Many people try to walk 10,000 steps every day. This is about five miles. Some think this can help with health problems like high blood pressure or heart disease. It can also help you feel more active and fit.
Health experts say adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity every week. Walking is a good way to meet this goal. Still, not everyone needs to walk 10,000 steps a day. You can start with fewer steps and slowly increase them.
The idea of 10,000 steps started in Japan in 1965 as part of a campaign to sell step counters. Since then, it became a popular number for people to aim for. Some studies have shown that walking 10,000 steps can help improve heart health, walking speed, and body movement. But some recent research says that even walking less than 10,000 steps can be good for you.
Younger adults may need between 8,000 and 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy. Adults over 60 years old may only need 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day. The best number of steps depends on your age, health, and fitness goals.
If you are just starting, check how many steps you walk in a day. Then try to add 500 to 1,000 more steps daily for one or two weeks. Keep doing this until you reach your step goal. If you take less than 5,000 steps a day, you can begin by adding 250 steps every one or two days.
If your goal is to improve your fitness, slowly increase your steps. You can even try walking with short bursts of running to make your walk more active. For example, run for 30 seconds, then walk for two minutes.
If you just want to keep your current fitness level, walking 30 minutes a day for five days a week can be enough. Your steps from other activities during the day also count.
Some people also walk to lose weight. Studies show that 10,000 steps or more can help with weight loss. In some cases, walking 15,000 steps a day may lower the risk of health problems linked to being overweight.
Hence, there is no single number that fits everyone. What matters most is moving more, little by little.
