I increased my step count back to 10,000 a day after time off—here’s how I did it sustainably

A happy woman in hiking clothes stands in front of an open field. She wears a beanie and is smiling widely.

If you’re under 60, you should aim to walk between 8,000 and 10,000 steps a day to feel some of the major benefits of walking, such as improved joint health, better mental health and an increased metabolism.

That's according to a CDC-funded meta-analysis from 2022 that used data from 15 studies and more than 47,000 adults.