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Every man, woman, and his dog has a pedometer these days. You probably have one and you might not know it. Pedometers are built into smartphones. So most people have some way of tracking their steps on a daily basis.

In 1965 a Japanese company made a device called Manpo-Kei which is translated to “10,000 steps meter”. The name was a marketing tool.

But because everyone is so familiar with this supposedly magic number. 10,000 steps per day is the default amount of steps on most pedometers. It certainly is on my fit bit.

So how many steps do you need to walk to be healthy?

How Many Steps Do You Need To Walk To Be Healthy?

Looking at 15 studies the evidence is clear about how many steps you should walk per day to be healthy.

The evidence shows that adults aged 60 or older had a reduced risk of death when they walked between 6000 and 8000 steps per day.

It also shows that adults younger that 60 had a reduced risk of death when they walked between 8000 and 10,000 steps per day.

As a general rule of thumb it makes sense to aim for 8000-10,000 steps per day if you’re an adult under 60 years of age. And if you’re an adult aged over 60 years of age 6000 to 8000 steps seems to be the effective range.

You can walk to a higher number of steps if you wish. But the benefits start to tail off at the aforementioned ranges.

Health Is More Than How Many Steps You Walk

Getting your steps in is a great way to stay active. But to maximise your health make sure you are:

• Eating a healthy diet which includes fruits, vegetables, grains, meat, eggs and dairy.
• Getting 8 hours of sleep per night.
• Strength training at least 3 times per week.
• Reducing your stress levels.
• Reaching a healthy body weight.

How To Easily Hit Your Step Target

• Buy a pedometer I recommend a fit bit, so you can track your daily steps.
• Take one or two 30 minute walks per day.
• Walk to places instead of driving if they’re nearby.
• Walk 10-15 minutes before and after your workout on a treadmill. This will act as a warm up and a cool down respectively.
• Take the stairs instead of the escalator or lift.
• Don’t skimp on chores around the house.
• When meeting a friend for a coffee take the coffee to go, and take a walk.

The Bottom Line On Do You Need To Walk 10,000 Steps Per Day To Be Healthy?

As a rule of thumb try and walk at least 8000 steps per day. If you do that and don’t neglect other areas of your health, you reduce your risk of all cause mortality (you reduce the risk of death).

Happy walking.