By Marnie Kunz, NASM-certified trainer, USATF- RRCA-certified running coach

Your average steps per day can have a significant impact on your overall health and fitness. As a trainer, I often recommend that my clients set a daily step goal as a measurable way to achieve better fitness and higher activity levels. Whether you have a running mileage goal or want to increase your walking, a daily step goal can help. Taking enough daily steps combats the risks of sedentary living and improves your overall calorie burning and health (mental and physical). This guide will offer insights on how many average steps per day you should take for optimal health benefits and ways to boost your step count.

Benefits of Walking

Increasing your average steps per day offers many benefits. Walking is a key prevention tool that can help ward off a variety of chronic diseases and conditions. Here are some of the physical and mental health benefits of walking:

Strengthens your heart, helps prevent heart disease, and reduces high blood pressure.
Helps with weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight. Walking burns calories and revs up your metabolism, making it an ideal weight loss tool.
Boosts your immune system. According to one study, people who walked for 20 minutes a day at least 5 days a week had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less. And if they did get sick, the walkers’ symptoms were milder and short-lived.
Lowers your risk of Type 2 diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association.
Improves your mood and reduces depression and anxiety. Walking offers a significant mental health boost.
Improves muscle strength and lean muscle mass. Walking strengthens your lower body especially and also increases your functional fitness so you’re able to enjoy better balance and conditioning in daily life and athletic activities.
Reduces all-cause mortality, meaning walking can lower your risk of premature death and help you live longer. According to one study, adults who took at least 8,000 steps three days a week or more decreased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risks.

Walking is also a convenient form of exercise that is accessible for most people. It's free and flexible, and you can do it in almost any environment. Walking is a fun solo or social activity to enjoy with friends, family, or pets.

Related Post: 15 Benefits of Walking for Runners

Recommended Number of Steps Per Day

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate activity (which can include brisk walking) per week. These physical activity guidelines are equivalent to walking or doing other moderate exercise for 30 minutes a day, five days per week.

If you’re wondering how many steps per day you need to take, the answer depends on your age and health. The popular recommendations are to do 10,000 steps a day for the most health benefits. However, this is more suitable for younger adults and people who don’t do a lot of other activities (such as swimming, cycling, etc., which may not increase your step count but are still cardio workouts).

According to a scientific meta-analysis of 15 studies with nearly 50,000 people, the 10,000 steps per day rule only holds fast for some age groups. Studies show that a certain number of daily steps can help reduce the risk of diseases and add longevity to your life. The average number of steps you need depends in part on your age.

According to researchers, for older adults ages 60 and up, the risk of premature death leveled off at about 6,000 to 8,000 steps per day, meaning that more steps than that provided no additional benefit for longevity. And for adults younger than 60, the risk of premature death stabilizes at about 8,000 to 10,000 steps per day.

Check out my post on Recommended Steps Per Day by Age for a more detailed breakdown of step recommendations based on age.

Tips for Increasing Your Daily Step Count

Walking can help you lead a healthier, more active lifestyle and improve your quality of life. Adding more steps to your daily activity will boost your average steps per day and offer many health rewards. Here are my best tips as a trainer to help you boost your step count and improve your health:

Track Your Steps

Many smart fitness devices and walking apps can track your average daily steps and record your daily step data. Fitbits, Garmin watches, Apple Watches, and other fitness trackers can tell you your daily steps. You can also use a pedometer or step-tracking apps like Google Fit, StepsApp, and many others.

Set Specific Goals

Set SMART goals for your daily step count. SMART stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Make your goals realistic and set a deadline, and you’ll be more likely to succeed.

An example of a step goal could be to do 5,000 steps five days a week for two weeks, then 6,000 steps for two weeks, etc., until you reach your goal step count and maintain that level.

Build Your Step Count Gradually

I’ve too often seen people I coach dive into big goals head-first and overdue their workouts, then end up injured or burned out and fall off the fitness bandwagon. To minimize your risk of injury and set realistic goals for yourself, build your step count gradually.

Follow the principle of progressive overload and add no more than 10 percent to your workouts from week to week. So, if you walk 5,000 steps a day for one week, for instance, you can increase your steps by up to 10% to add 500 more steps per day the following week. This will help you make sustainable progress.

Take the Stairs

Small changes to your daily routine can help make a big difference in your average steps per day. Instead of taking the elevator, take the stairs and you’ll boost your step count and activity level.

Park Farther Away

Choose parking spots that are in the back of parking lots, and your step count will increase more quickly than you’d expect, especially if you go to a lot of destinations in a day.

Walk During Breaks

Take a walk on your lunch breaks or do some of your phone calls while walking. Fitting in short walks into your daily routine will help you increase your activity level without a lot of effort.

Walk to Do Errands

This is one of my favorites and a popular New York pastime: walking to do your errands. Take public transit and walk or walk to shops near your home or work to get your errands done. You can walk to the pharmacy, post office, or meet up with friends.

Walking for Better Health

Walking regularly can reduce your risk of chronic illness, improve your mental health, and help maintain a healthy weight. To enjoy the many rewards of walking, start tracking your average steps per day and slowly increase your step count until you reach your goal amount.

Have you tried walking to improve your fitness or health? Follow and tag @Runstreet on Instagram to share your fitness journey and get cheered on. If you need a training plan to help you reach your fitness goals, head to the Runstreet Training Center for my personalized training options.

Happy stepping to you!

Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified personal trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in Brooklyn, NY. Marnie likes helping people get and stay active to enjoy a better quality of life. When she’s not doing fitness things, Marnie enjoys exploring with her dog, a mischievous rescue Akita.

How Many Average Steps Per Day For Good Health and Fitness?