How many steps do I really need every day?

floralworld

MFP recommends 10k steps a day, do i need to get 10k every day? My average # of steps a day is 6.7k. Thanks!

mwyvr

How active are you otherwise? If you do nothing else, then 10,000 might be considered a minimum.

ohmscheeks

Define "need"?

Liftng4Lis

Stats?

AnnPT77

What's your goal? What's your situation? What else do you do?

I have a torn meniscus, so I don't walk much - impact hurts. But I bike, take spin classes, row (water & machine), lift, and do miscellaneous other things. I'm not having any particular trouble losing weight, I have strong legs, and my cardiovascular fitness is good (measured by things like endurance, resting heart rate, recovery time from exertion to resting rate, etc.). So I'm achieving my goals, in my situation, without much walking - *way* less than your 6.7k steps.

Many people like to walk as a main form of activity, and it works for them. They need to walk lots in order to be healthy. If I only walked (as much as I do now) and did nothing else, I wouldn't be healthy at all.

I don't think there's a magic number.

mwyvr

2 is a magic number. Or is it 42?

I did not find walking was enough for me. It could have done, if I was willing to walk two or three hours a day, but I'd rather get the same benefit from running one hour and gain those other two hours back for other purposes.

Adding cardio - running - to my mix did wonders for my fitness and made losing the first 40 pounds dead easy. I barely changed my diet. Truth.

Vigorous activity offers more benefit.

ScubaSteve1962

CDC and WHO recommend 7000 to 8000 a day

https://www.humana.com/learning-center/health-and-wellbeing/healthy-living/walking-for-health

but if you're doing cardio exercise and some strength training, that works instead of trying to get those magical 10000 a day

http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/adults/index.htm