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How many steps a day do women over 50 need?

You have probably heard 10,000. The best study in older women found benefits starting far lower, at about 4,400 steps a day, and leveling off near 7,500.

Reviewed by Claudia Muresian, health psychologist, fitness coach and healthy nutrition specialist Researched and drafted by the Fit Over 40 editorial team. Last updated November 11, 2026. 5 minute read. How we research and review

The short version

  • In older women, about 4,400 steps a day was linked to a 41% lower death rate than about 2,700 steps.
  • The benefit kept growing with more steps and leveled off at around 7,500 a day.
  • Walking speed did not matter once the number of steps was taken into account.
  • The study was observational, so it shows a link, not proof of cause.
  • Whatever your number is now, adding 1,000 to 2,000 steps a day is a worthwhile goal.

What the study found

Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital asked 16,741 US women, average age 72, to wear a research-grade step counter for a week. They then followed the women for a little over four years.1

GroupTypical steps a dayRisk of death compared with the least active group
Least active quarterabout 2,700Reference
Second quarterabout 4,40041% lower
Third quarterabout 5,90046% lower
Most active quarterabout 8,40058% lower

Source: Lee and colleagues, JAMA Internal Medicine, 2019.1 The risk kept falling with more steps until about 7,500 a day, then leveled off.

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What it does and does not prove

  • The study was observational. It cannot fully separate "more steps lead to longer life" from "healthier women walk more."2
  • It measured deaths only, not weight, mood, blood sugar or fitness.
  • Most participants were older white women, so results may differ for other groups and for women in their fifties, who usually take more steps.2

The lead author summed it up as "step more": even a modest increase was tied to lower mortality.2

Where 10,000 fits in

Ten thousand is the default goal on many fitness trackers, but this study suggests it is not a threshold for older women.2 It is a fine goal if you enjoy it. It is not a reason to feel you have failed at 6,000.

Steps and the official guidelines

The World Health Organization's target is 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, plus strength training on two or more days.3 Thirty minutes of brisk walking is roughly 3,000 to 4,000 steps for most people, so a daily walk on top of normal movement puts many women in the 7,000 range.

A four-week build-up

  1. Week 1: Wear a tracker or carry your phone for seven days without changing anything. Note your daily average.
  2. Week 2: Add 1,000 steps a day, about ten minutes of walking.
  3. Week 3: Add another 1,000. Split it into two short walks if that is easier.
  4. Week 4: Hold that level and make one walk a day brisk enough that you can talk but not sing.

Repeat the cycle until you reach 7,000 to 8,000. Walking does little for muscle, so pair it with strength work: across 101 trials, combining aerobic and resistance exercise improved both fat and muscle in postmenopausal women.4 Start with the 10 best exercises for women over 50. For help choosing a step counter, see fitness trackers for women over 50.

Common questions

Is 10,000 steps a day necessary?

Not for the benefit this study measured. Women who took about 10,000 steps had essentially the same death rates as those who took about 7,500. More steps may still help with other goals, such as weight control or fitness, which the study did not examine.1,2

Do steps around the house count?

Yes. The study counted all steps taken through the day, not only steps from planned walks.1

Does walking faster help more?

In this study, stepping intensity was not linked to death rates after the total number of steps was accounted for. Brisk walking still counts toward the weekly aerobic target and improves fitness.1,3

References

  1. Lee IM, Shiroma EJ, Kamada M, Bassett DR, Matthews CE, Buring JE. Association of step volume and intensity with all-cause mortality in older women. JAMA Intern Med. 2019;179(8):1105-1112. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.0899
  2. Harvard Gazette. Just 7,500 steps a day lowers mortality in older women, study says. June 2019. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/06/for-older-women-just-7500-steps-a-day-lowers-mortality
  3. World Health Organization. Physical activity: fact sheet. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity
  4. Khalafi M, Habibi Maleki A, Sakhaei MH, et al. The effects of exercise training on body composition in postmenopausal women: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Endocrinol. 2023;14:1183765. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37388207/
About this article

Every health claim above links to its source. Before publication the article was read and approved by Claudia Muresian, health psychologist, fitness coach and healthy nutrition specialist. It is general information and cannot take your personal history into account, so use it to prepare for a conversation with your own clinician.

Spotted an error? Tell us and we will check it.

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