How Many Steps Per Day Do You Need?
About 7,000 steps per day is the sweet spot for boosting health and may be more achievable than the long-standing goal of 10,000 daily steps — especially for people receiving breast cancer treatment — according to results from a meta-analysis.
On average, there are about 2,250 to 2,300 steps per mile. So 3 miles is approximately 7,000 steps.
Walking 7,000 steps offered a broad range of health benefits. Compared to people who took 2,000 steps per day, people who took 7,000 steps per day:
were 47% less likely to die from any of the conditions studied
had a 38% lower risk of dementia
were 37% less likely to die from cancer
had a 25% lower risk of heart disease
were 28% less likely to fall
had a 22% lower risk of depression
were 14% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes
Taking more than 7,000 steps per day lowered some risks even more — cancer and heart disease, most notably — but didn’t affect others, including falling and dementia.
Taking 4,000 steps a day instead of 2,000 reduced the risk of death from any cause by 36%
According to the researchers, “... 7,000 steps per day might be a more realistic and achievable recommendation for some, but 10,000 steps per day can still be a viable target for those who are more active.”
The researchers also pointed out that even step counts lower than 7,000 offered health benefits. For example, taking 4,000 steps a day instead of 2,000 reduced the risk of death from any cause by 36%.
This study was a meta-analysis. A meta-analysis combines and analyzes the results of a number of earlier studies. In this case, the researchers reviewed 31 studies published between January 2014 and February 2025 looking at the relationship between daily steps and health outcomes.
What should my step goal be?
The number of steps you should aim for each day depends on your age, fitness level, overall health, and where you are in your breast cancer journey.
The average American takes 3,000 to 4,000 steps per day, about 1.3 to 1.7 miles. As this study found, doubling that amount can offer a number of benefits. If you have a particularly active job, you may need fewer steps. If you’re younger, you probably should aim for 7,000 or more steps per day. If you’re older, 5,000 to 7,000 steps is probably a good goal.
If you’re far below that number, a sensible way to increase steps is to take about 500 more steps per week, or about 70 more steps per day, until you hit your goal.
How do you count steps?
You can count your steps or distance with a number of tools, including fitness trackers, step counters or other apps on your phone, or a pedometer.
Time spent walking is another way to measure steps. Depending on your age, the average time to walk a mile is between 15 and 22 minutes.
You can also go to a quarter-mile track and count how many steps it takes you to walk one lap. Multiply that by four and you know how many steps it takes you to walk a mile. Then you can figure out how many steps you take in the distance you walk on the track.
— Last updated on September 8, 2025 at 9:00 PM