Free tool · Training
How many steps a day? A steps goal by age
Short answer
In a 2022 meta-analysis of 15 cohorts, the drop in mortality risk with more daily steps levelled off at about 8,000–10,000 steps a day for adults under 60 and 6,000–8,000 for adults 60 and over. People in the most active quarter, with a median of 10,901 steps, had 53% lower mortality risk than the least active quarter.
Last reviewed 28 October 20261 published sourcesNot medical advice
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| Quartile | Median steps a day | Hazard ratio | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quartile 1 | 3,553 | 1 (reference) | — |
| Quartile 2 | 5,801 | 0.60 | 0.51–0.71 |
| Quartile 3 | 7,842 | 0.55 | 0.49–0.62 |
| Quartile 4 | 10,901 | 0.47 | 0.39–0.57 |
Where the 8,000–10,000 range comes from
Paluch and colleagues pooled 15 cohorts of 47,471 adults. Against the least active quarter (median 3,553 steps a day), the hazard ratios for death were 0.60, 0.55 and 0.47 for the next three quarters (Paluch et al., 2022).
Risk kept falling as steps rose until about 6,000–8,000 steps a day in adults 60 and over and 8,000–10,000 in adults under 60 (Paluch et al., 2022). That is why the calculator uses your age group's range as a goal and shows the gap from where you are.
To turn a goal into distance or time, use the steps to distance calculator. For the energy a walk burns, try the calories burned calculator.
Your steps, already counted
Reps reads the steps your iPhone and Apple Watch already count and shows your daily activity next to your sleep and recovery.
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Common questions
How many steps a day should I walk?
Paluch et al.'s 2022 meta-analysis found mortality risk fell with more daily steps until about 8,000–10,000 steps a day in adults under 60 and 6,000–8,000 in adults 60 and over, where the benefit levelled off.
Is 10,000 steps a day necessary?
Not for everyone. In the same analysis, the curve flattened from 6,000 steps for people 60 and over and from 8,000 for younger adults. Below those levels, every extra step was linked to lower risk.
Does walking more than the goal help?
The study did not see further drops in mortality risk beyond those ranges, but more walking is still activity and may help fitness and other goals. The figures come from observational cohorts, so they show associations, not guarantees.
Sources
Figures on this page were checked against these publications on 28 October 2026.
- Paluch AE, Bajpai S, Bassett DR, Carnethon MR, Ekelund U, Evenson KR, et al. Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. The Lancet Public Health. 2022;7(3):e219–e228. doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(21)00302-9
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