Health Expert Sets 7,000-9,000 Daily Steps for Under-60s, 6,000-8,000 for Over-60s
Updated
Updated · Ynetnews · May 20
Health Expert Sets 7,000-9,000 Daily Steps for Under-60s, 6,000-8,000 for Over-60s
1 articles · Updated · Ynetnews · May 20
Summary
Miri Shaul says adults under 60 get the greatest benefit from 8,000-10,000 daily steps, while those over 60 benefit most from 6,000-8,000; she describes 7,000-9,000 as the broad ideal range.
Health gains start earlier than the old 10,000-step target: benefits appear from about 4,000 steps, and studies cited by Shaul linked roughly 7,000 steps a day to a 47% lower risk of death versus 2,000.
Shaul says total daily steps matter more than doing them in one session, and breaking up long sitting periods can still reduce musculoskeletal harm even for people logging only around 3,000 steps.
For beginners, she recommends starting at 2,000-3,000 steps and adding 700-800 steps or five minutes a week, while fitter people can progress from walking to intervals or light running.
Walking remains attractive because it is low-cost and easy to track, and Shaul says apps raise activity by about 1,300 steps a day on average through goals, feedback and social competition.