How many steps do you actually need to take per day to stay healthy?

In recent years, our health seems to have been given a pedometer. It’s no longer just about how we feel, what we eat, and how much sleep we get at night. Things are also shaped by the tiny numbers that pile up on your watch or phone screen by the end of the day. 4,000? 7,000? 10,000?The seemingly simple question of how many steps a day you actually need to take to stay healthy has become one of the most talked about questions in the wellness world.

More than just a means of getting from one place to another, walking is, and in fact always has been, one of the simplest and most accessible forms of physical activity. That’s not a surprising finding.

“According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization, walking falls into the category of aerobic exercise, which means activities that improve cardiovascular endurance over time, similar to cycling and swimming,” explains Miri Scholl, physiotherapist, physical activity consultant, and director of the Institute of Physical Therapy at Maccabi Healthcare Services in the Jezreel Valley.

“The recommendation is to accumulate about 150 minutes a week. This is a kind of benchmark that can be tracked in minutes or steps. These are real standards that we can follow.”

The value of walking goes beyond being easy to track. It benefits almost every system in the body. “Walking at recommended levels can reduce your risk of death from all causes, including heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure,” says Scholl.

“Walking itself is a weight-bearing activity, so it helps maintain bone mass. Like any physical activity, it also helps release endorphins, which can help improve your mood. It also helps maintain function. People who walk regularly can help maintain their walking ability and maintain their balance, which is another factor that can help prevent falls.”

It also has a positive effect on your brain and sleep. “There is evidence that walking can slow cognitive decline and improve memory, and physical activity during the day can also lead to deeper, better quality sleep at night.”

More than that, part of the power of walking may be that, unlike many other health recommendations, it requires almost nothing. “It’s very accessible,” Scholl said. “No special equipment or accessories are required, and there are few financial costs other than buying comfortable shoes. From there, you can just get out and walk.”

So what triggers most of us to open an app at the end of the day? What is the magic number? Is the famous 10,000 steps still a goal to strive for, or can you stop feeling guilty long before that?

“When people first started talking about step counts as a recommended measure of physical activity, the number was 10,000 steps a day. But many people don’t reach 10,000 steps a day, so researchers have since looked at goals more closely to determine if there is a lower effective threshold,” Scholl says. “They found that there is no single magic number, but a clear range. Health benefits have already been seen with 4,000 steps a day.”

She says the ideal goal is a little higher, but she’s still a long way from the idea that less than 10,000 steps doesn’t count. “If you want to reach your optimal step count, that’s about 7,000 steps a day. A study that looked at walking about 7,000 steps a day compared to 2,000 steps showed a 47% lower risk of death.

“Ideally, you should walk between 7,000 and 9,000 steps a day. Of course, if you walk more than that, you’ll see further improvements, but the effects will be small and insignificant. Even people who reach 8,000 steps will still see health benefits,” Scholl emphasizes. “The minimum threshold is 4,000 to 5,000 steps, but 7,000 to 9,000 steps is a healthy goal.”

Still, even after marking the desired health range, the picture cannot be reduced to a single number. People come to walk with different needs and abilities: someone who sits in an office most of the day, a 75-year-old woman trying to stay functional, a young person who exercises regularly, and someone who hasn’t exercised in years.

So daily goals are only part of the picture. Other factors are also important, such as how much you sit, your age and fitness level, whether you walk all at once or all day, and your pace.

“This is where daily movement and prolonged sitting become important,” says Scholl. “Avoiding prolonged sitting is extremely important. A sedentary lifestyle is associated with illness and death, so even people who take frequent sitting breaks and only take 3,000 steps a day can reduce musculoskeletal problems caused by sitting for too long.”

Still, she emphasizes that those looking for broader health benefits should aim higher gradually. “It’s important to work toward your minimum of 4,000 steps. Every 1,000 steps reduces your risk. Even if you’re not at all active, you can start with something you can manage, such as 2,000 to 3,000 steps a day, and gradually increase it over time with consistency.” That way, you can gradually move closer to the recommended range and reap meaningful health benefits. But the important thing is to start somewhere. ”

One important variable is age. “For adults under 60, walking 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day provides the greatest benefit. For adults over 60, the greatest benefit is 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day,” Scholl says. But again, she makes it clear that this is not a hard ceiling.

“Today, there are many adults over 65 who have been active for years, or who started and continued to exercise later in life. They can reach fitness levels comparable to younger adults. So if you’re active as you get older and find it fun to walk more, it’s okay to aim higher. Adding strength and balance training is also highly recommended.”

When it comes to the differences between women and men, Scholl says the answer is simpler. “Most studies show that the pattern of effects is the same. The differences are very small and do not significantly change the recommendations. Exercise programs should be tailored to the individual’s fitness level, age, and health status.”

There’s also an encouraging answer to the question of whether you can break up the steps into smaller chunks throughout the day rather than doing them all at once. “You don’t need to walk continuously. In fact, the evidence shows that it’s not necessary,” Scholl says. “The health benefits are related to the total number of steps you take in a day, not how you break them up. Even short walking segments throughout the day can improve your metabolism, reduce the effects of sitting for long periods of time, and relieve musculoskeletal pain.”

One reason step counting has become such a popular benchmark in recent years is because it provides something that most health recommendations struggle to provide: immediate feedback. It’s not a general subjective feeling, but a clear number, a goal to aim for, and sometimes even a small competition with yourself and others.

“For example, fitness apps increase your step count; a lot of research shows that,” Scholl says. “We found that people who used pedometer apps walked an average of 1,300 more steps per day than those who didn’t. This provides a level of motivation. Apps encourage action. This probably happens because people like receiving feedback on their performance.”

“Many apps allow you to set a goal, a threshold that you want to aim for, which becomes a motivating factor. If a user wants to reach at least 4,000 steps, they can set that as a threshold and gradually work towards it. If they are successful, they can accumulate more steps and work towards 7,000 steps.”

However, not every step has to come from deliberate walking or structured training. Scholl says small changes in daily life can add up. “You can increase the number of steps you take in an unplanned way, such as by parking your car further away and walking or taking the stairs instead of the elevator, but by engaging in physical activity that allows you to gradually increase the number of steps you take along the way.”

There’s also a social element, often turning the walk into a small game or group challenge. “Be it in WhatsApp groups, competitions or group activities, if you can see how many steps others have taken, you can encourage them to walk more,” she says. “Behavioral research shows that social comparison, competition, and sharing can increase activity levels, step counts, and consistency.”

So the next question arises. If walking is so beneficial, why run? Many people consider running to be a more intense and healthier form of exercise, but like step count, the answer varies from person to person, including your fitness level, habits, and how well your body adapts to exercise.

“If you are not a regular exerciser, you will naturally get tired if you start running. You should start with walking, increase your walking pace over time, move to interval training that combines running and walking, and gradually move to light running training. Therefore, if you are a beginner, walking is better.”

For those who are already physically fit, the answer may be different. “For people who are training and improving their fitness, running may be a good option because it provides the benefits of more intense exercise,” Scholl says. “The body needs to be challenged. Once the body adapts to a certain level of activity, the effects diminish. Increasing the intensity a little more will improve your fitness and increase the effectiveness of your exercise.”

After considering all the numbers, ranges, and comparisons, this is probably the most important conclusion. You don’t have to start with 10,000 or even 7,000 steps. The key is to start where you are and progress gradually.

“If we’re talking about walking as aerobic exercise, we recommend doing it at least twice a week to see improvements,” says Scholl. “For maximum benefits, walk every day. Add five minutes or 700 to 800 steps to your workout each week and your body will gradually adapt.”

After all, walking is more than just a personal daily goal on the app. You can also set an example for the next generation as a family tradition. “Parents serve as role models, and it’s important to remember that active children are more likely to become healthier adults,” says Scholl. “When families turn walking into a shared activity, such as going on nature walks together, it becomes a healthy lesson for children and helps them grow up to be more active and healthy adults.”