How many steps a day do you really need?

Ten thousand steps a day has become one of those numbers everyone seems to know. It's on office leaderboards and in group chats. But if you've ever finished a busy day on 6,500 steps and felt a bit guilty about it, you might have wondered whether 10,000 is really the magic line.

The short answer is that more movement is usually better than less, but the right number depends on your age, your health and the rest of your week. Here's where the 10,000 figure came from, what the research says now, and how the Thrive Health Band can help you find a number that suits you.

Where 10,000 steps came from

The number didn't start in a laboratory. In 1965, the Japanese company Yamasa released one of the first consumer pedometers and named it "manpo-kei", which translates to "10,000 steps meter". Harvard epidemiologist Dr I-Min Lee has described the name as a marketing tool: a round, memorable figure rather than one drawn from research.

That doesn't make 10,000 a bad goal. Victoria's Better Health Channel still describes 10,000 steps or more as the recommended number for health benefits. The number was simply a sensible slogan long before scientists tested it.

What the research says now

Researchers have since put the number to the test. In 2022, a meta-analysis in The Lancet Public Health pooled data from 15 studies covering more than 47,000 adults in Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. People who took more steps each day tended to live longer, but the benefit levelled off. For adults aged 60 and over, it flattened at around 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day. For adults under 60, it flattened at around 8,000 to 10,000.

The study also found the total number of steps mattered more than walking pace. So if 10,000 feels out of reach, a steady 7,000 is far from wasted effort.

Australia's guidelines talk about minutes, not steps

The Australian Government's physical activity guidelines don't set a step count at all. For adults, they recommend 30 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous activity on most days, muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week, activities for mobility, balance and coordination on three or more days, and several hours of light activity every day. They also suggest breaking up long stretches of sitting as often as you can.

The recommendations for adults 65 and over follow the same pattern. Steps are a handy way to measure the light and moderate parts of that picture, but they don't cover strength or balance.

Better Health Channel describes a brisk walk as one where you can still talk but not sing, and you may be puffing slightly. Thirty minutes at that pace is roughly 3,000 to 4,000 steps for most adults, depending on your stride, so a daily brisk walk does a lot of the work on its own.

Finding your own number

Instead of chasing a number from a poster, start with your own usual week and build from there.

Add a little at a time. If you usually sit around 4,000 steps, aiming for 5,000 for a few weeks is a realistic next step.
Break it up. Better Health Channel suggests that if 30 minutes in one go is hard, three 10-minute walks a day is a good way to build up.
Use the moments you already have. A walk after dinner, a phone call on your feet or a lap of the block at lunch all add up.
Count your week, not just your day. A long weekend walk and a lighter Tuesday can balance out. What matters is the pattern over time.

If you'd like some structure, our 60km walking plan for November breaks a month of walking into manageable days.

If you feel chest pain or pressure, dizziness or unusual breathlessness while walking, stop and get medical help. In an emergency, call triple zero (000).

How Thrive shows your steps

The Thrive Band has no screen, so there's no number buzzing at you all day. It counts your steps, and the Thrive by Optihealth app shows how your week is going.

Steps, distance and calories. The Activity tab shows your steps, distance and estimated calories burned for the day, with your history alongside, so you can compare this week with last month.
A goal you choose. You set your own daily steps goal in the app. Quick picks of 5,000, 8,000 and 10,000 are there, or you can type your own number and change it whenever you like.
Your own normal. Thrive learns what's usual for you across nine areas of your health, and your daily steps are part of that. You can see how today compares with your own pattern rather than someone else's chart.
Walks, workouts and GPS. Thrive tracks walks, runs and rides with GPS through your phone, alongside workouts and training programmes if you'd like more structure.
Today's Load and Today's Vitality. Today's Load takes your steps and active minutes into account, and Today's Vitality brings your sleep and recovery, heart, load and mood together in one score from 0 to 100.

Thrive works right across your health, too. Alongside what the Band measures, you can keep your meals and Food Fit scans, blood tests, medications and supplements and medical history in the same app.

You can ask Ask Thrive questions in everyday language, such as "How have my daily steps looked this month compared with my usual?" or "How did my steps this week compare with last week?"

If you walk with a trainer or a friend who keeps you going, Thrive Loops lets you share selected information with a participating trainer, health professional or someone you trust. You decide what to share and with whom, and you can change or revoke access at any time.

Before you buy

You'll need a compatible iPhone or Android phone, because the Thrive app is on the Apple App Store and Google Play, in Australia and eight other countries. The app stores are only for downloading the app, though; they aren't where you buy the Band or a Plan. You can buy at thrivehealthband.com, or at a participating World Gym Australia location or health and wellness clinic.

The Thrive Health Band is A$660 for the first year under the launch offer (usually A$740). That includes the Band, which is yours to keep, and 12 months of the Thrive by Optihealth app, My Health on the web, Health Fingerprint, Ask Thrive, Thrive Loops and your data, paid once upfront. Prices are in AUD and include GST. Free Australia-wide shipping during the launch offer (usually A$14.99).

Nothing renews automatically. After your first year, you can get a new band plus 12 more months for A$660, or keep your band and renew the Thrive Connected Plan for A$240 a year (A$20 a month).

You're also covered by a 12-month Thrive Care Warranty, and consumer guarantees under Australian Consumer Law always apply. See Returns if something is wrong with your purchase.

Common questions

Do I really need 10,000 steps a day?

Not necessarily. A large 2022 study found the benefits of more steps levelled off at around 6,000 to 8,000 a day for adults 60 and over, and 8,000 to 10,000 for younger adults. Australia's guidelines focus on active minutes rather than a step count.

Does walking speed matter?

In that study, total steps mattered more than pace. Australia's guidelines still encourage some moderate to vigorous activity on most days, and a brisk walk counts.

Can I change my steps goal in Thrive?

Yes. You choose your own daily goal in the Thrive by Optihealth app, from the quick picks or a number of your own, and you can change it at any time.

For more answers, see Questions.