Daily steps7 min read · Updated
Is 10000 Steps a Day Enough?
The short answer
The 10,000 figure likely comes from the name of a Japanese pedometer sold in 1965.
- Large studies found the drop in death risk levels off at about 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day for adults under 60 and 6,000 to 8,000 from 60.
- A 2025 review put a realistic target at about 7,000.
- Steps help, but HPB also asks for strength work on at least 2 days a week, which walking does not cover.
From S$50 a session. First session 10% off.
Written by the Fit Titans coaching team. Edited by Theon. How we write guides
10000 steps a day is the default goal on most watches and phones, but the number did not come from a study.
This page covers where it came from, what large studies found about steps and health, how steps fit Singapore's 150 to 300 minute guideline, and why walking alone leaves out the strength work the guidelines also ask for.
On this page (10)
- 1. Where did 10,000 steps a day come from?
- 2. What do large studies say about daily steps and health?
- 3. How many steps a day do you actually need?
- 4. What health benefits are linked to 7,000 steps a day?
- 5. Does walking pace matter, or only the step count?
- 6. How do steps fit HPB's 150 to 300 minutes a week?
- 7. How does the National Steps Challenge count your steps?
- 8. How many calories do 10,000 steps burn?
- 9. Why are steps not enough on their own?
- 10. How does a coach fit around a daily step goal?
Key facts
- The 10,000 goal likely derives from Manpo-kei, a pedometer sold in Japan in 1965 whose name means 10,000 steps meter (Lee et al., 2019)
- In 15 cohorts with 47,471 adults, death risk fell until about 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day under 60 and 6,000 to 8,000 from 60 (Paluch et al., 2022)
- 7,000 steps a day was linked to a 47% lower risk of death than 2,000 steps in a 2025 meta-analysis (Ding et al.)
- Among 4,840 US adults, 8,000 steps a day was linked to about half the death risk of 4,000 steps (Saint-Maurice et al., 2020)
Where did 10,000 steps a day come from?
From a product name, not a study. A 2019 paper in JAMA Internal Medicine says the goal likely derives from Manpo-kei, a pedometer sold in Japan in 1965 by Yamasa Clock and Instrument Company. Manpo-kei means 10,000 steps meter.
- 1965Manpo-keiYamasa Clock and Instrument Company sold a pedometer in Japan whose name means 10,000 steps meter.
- LaterLay pressThe lay press kept the number going.
- TodayWearables and appsWearables and phone apps often use it as the default.
That is why it feels like a medical rule. It is not one, but the studies below show it is not a bad target either.
What do large studies say about daily steps and health?
More steps go with a lower risk of early death, and the benefit flattens out somewhere below or around 10,000. All of these studies are observational. They show a link, not proof that the steps alone caused it.
| Study | Who | What it found |
|---|---|---|
| Paluch et al., Lancet Public Health 2022 | 47,471 adults in 15 cohorts, 7.1 years median follow-up | Death risk fell as steps rose, levelling off at about 8,000 to 10,000 a day under 60 and 6,000 to 8,000 from 60 |
| Saint-Maurice et al., JAMA 2020 | 4,840 US adults aged 40 and over, 10.1 years mean follow-up | 8,000 steps a day had a hazard ratio of 0.49 against 4,000, and 12,000 had 0.35 |
| Lee et al., JAMA Internal Medicine 2019 | 16,741 women, mean age 72 | Death rates fell with more steps and levelled off at about 7,500 a day |
| Ding et al., Lancet Public Health 2025 | 57 studies from 35 cohorts, 31 studies in the meta-analyses | 7,000 steps a day was linked to a 47% lower risk of death than 2,000 steps |
How many steps a day do you actually need?
Somewhere between 7,000 and 10,000 for most adults, and fewer still counts. The 2025 Ding review found 7,000 steps a day was linked to clinically meaningful health gains. It called 10,000 a reasonable goal for people who are already active and 7,000 a more realistic one for some.
Under 60, the curve flattened at about 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day. At 60 and over it flattened earlier, at about 6,000 to 8,000. Starting from very few, Professor Melody Ding, quoted by the University of Sydney, said going from 2,000 to 4,000 steps a day is linked to significant health gain.
What health benefits are linked to 7,000 steps a day?
Lower risk across several conditions, not only death. These are the 2025 Ding meta-analysis figures for 7,000 steps against 2,000. Some rest on only 2 to 4 studies, so treat them as estimates.
Does walking pace matter, or only the step count?
The total count mattered most in these studies.
Total step count
- Every step counts, slow or fast
- The figure that mattered most in these studies
Walking pace
- Faster stepping was not linked to lower death risk once total steps were taken into account (Saint-Maurice et al.)
- Stepping rate was only partly linked after the same adjustment (Paluch et al.)
Pace still matters for the national guideline, because only moderate or vigorous minutes count toward it. The heart rate zone calculator shows which heart rates count as moderate for your age.
How do steps fit HPB's 150 to 300 minutes a week?
Brisk walking counts toward it, but the guideline is set in minutes, not steps. The Singapore Physical Activity Guidelines, revised on 12 June 2022, ask adults for 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, with each vigorous minute counting as two moderate ones. HealthHub lists brisk walking as an example.
| Step count | HPB minutes | |
|---|---|---|
| What it measures | Every step, slow or fast | Moderate or vigorous minutes only |
| Weekly target | No national step target | 150 to 300 moderate minutes |
| Strength work | Not counted | A separate 2 days a week |
HealthHub says 21.5% of Singaporeans had insufficient total physical activity in the 2023 National Population Health Survey, and that insufficiently active people have a 20% to 30% higher risk of death.
How does the National Steps Challenge count your steps?
Through the Healthy 365 app. HealthHub's National Steps Challenge page says you clock steps and moderate to vigorous physical activity minutes and earn Healthpoints you can redeem for rewards.
- 01Join in the appOpen to people aged 17 and over, after the health declaration and the Get Active Questionnaire in the app.
- 02Pick a deviceAn HPB fitness tracker or a compatible third-party app or device.
- 03Clock steps and minutesA third-party device needs to track heart rate for the activity minutes to count.
- 04Earn HealthpointsRedeem them for rewards.
How many calories do 10,000 steps burn?
It depends on your weight and pace. Our calories burned calculator has a steps mode that works it out from the 2024 Compendium of Physical Activities. It puts 10,000 steps at 4.8 km/h at about 88 minutes and 390 kcal for a 70 kg adult.
Walking for fat loss? Steps help, but eating and strength work matter as much. The plan, the step ideas around the estate and the hawker swaps are in losing weight without a gym.
Why are steps not enough on their own?
Walking does not cover strength. HPB asks adults for muscle-strengthening activity on at least 2 days a week, and older adults for strength and balance on at least 3 days. HealthHub describes strength training as moving against your bodyweight or an external resistance.
What walking covers
- Brisk walking counts toward the 150 to 300 moderate minutes a week HPB asks of adults
- It covers the aerobic part only
What it leaves out
- Adults: 2 strength days a week (HPB)
- Older adults: strength and functional balance on at least 3 days a week (HPB)
After 50, what those strength days look like is on strength training after 50.
How does a coach fit around a daily step goal?
A coach covers the strength days your steps leave out. The plan below is coaching advice, not a medical prescription.
- 01Start from your own averageLook at a normal week on your watch or phone and build up from there.
- 02Add two strength sessionsSquats, hinges, pushes, pulls and carries at home, in a condo gym or at a park.
- 03Keep the walkingDaily steps carry on between sessions, with some brisk minutes for the HPB target.
- 04Check in every few weeksSteps, sessions and how you feel, adjusted as the habit settles.
A coach comes to your home, your condo gym, a park or a gym that allows outside trainers, and some coach live by video. A 60-minute session with our coaches starts from S$50 (measured October 2026). The first session is a paid trial at 10% off the coach's rate. After it, sessions come in packs of 5, 10, 15 or 20, paid by PayNow. See home personal training.
Questions about 10,000 steps
Is 10,000 steps a day based on science?
Not originally. A 2019 JAMA Internal Medicine paper says it likely comes from Manpo-kei, a Japanese pedometer sold in 1965 whose name means 10,000 steps meter. Later studies found benefits level off at about 8,000 to 10,000 steps a day for adults under 60.
Is 7,000 steps a day enough?
For many adults it is a realistic target. A 2025 meta-analysis in The Lancet Public Health linked 7,000 steps a day to a 47% lower risk of death than 2,000 steps, and called 10,000 a reasonable goal for people who are already active.
How many steps should older adults aim for?
In a 2022 analysis of 15 cohorts, the drop in death risk levelled off at about 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day for adults 60 and over. HPB also asks older adults for strength and balance work on at least 3 days a week.
Do steps count toward the 150 minutes a week?
Brisk walking does, because HPB counts moderate or vigorous minutes. Slow steps around the home add to your count but not to the 150 to 300 minute target.
Can walking replace strength training?
No. HPB asks adults for muscle-strengthening activity on at least 2 days a week as well as their aerobic minutes. Walking covers the aerobic part only.
About this guide
Published
Sources (8) and terms used
Terms used
Sources
- Lee et al. Association of step volume and intensity with all-cause mortality in older women. JAMA Intern Med 2019, 179(8):1105 (checked 8 Nov 2026) · PubMed Central, National Library of Medicine
- Paluch et al. Daily steps and all-cause mortality: a meta-analysis of 15 international cohorts. Lancet Public Health 2022, 7(3):e219 (abstract read on Europe PMC, checked 8 Nov 2026) · PubMed, National Library of Medicine
- Saint-Maurice et al. Association of daily step count and step intensity with mortality among US adults. JAMA 2020, 323(12):1151 (abstract read on Europe PMC, checked 8 Nov 2026) · PubMed, National Library of Medicine
- Ding et al. Daily steps and health outcomes in adults: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis. Lancet Public Health 2025, 10(8):e668 (abstract read on Europe PMC, checked 8 Nov 2026) · PubMed, National Library of Medicine
- Rethink the 10,000 a day step goal, study suggests (checked 8 Nov 2026) · The University of Sydney
- Singapore's physical activity guidelines revised (checked 8 Nov 2026) · Health Promotion Board
- 150 minutes of physical activity (checked 8 Nov 2026) · HealthHub, Health Promotion Board
- National Steps Challenge (checked 8 Nov 2026) · HealthHub, Health Promotion Board
General information, not medical advice.
