How far should a 65 to 70 year old walk every day?
The short answer
About 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day, which is roughly 2.5 to 3.5 miles (4 to 5.5 km) of walking spread across the whole day. That figure comes from a large meta-analysis of daily steps and lifespan (Paluch and colleagues, The Lancet Public Health, 2022), which pooled 15 studies of 47,471 adults. For people 60 and over, the risk of dying during the study kept falling as daily steps rose, until about 6,000 to 8,000 steps a day, where it levelled off. For people under 60, the same point came later, at 8,000 to 10,000.
That is a total for the day, not one walk. Steps around the house, to the shops and in the garden all count toward it.
In miles and km
Step length depends mostly on height, so the same steps cover different distances:
| Height | 6,000 steps | 7,000 steps | 8,000 steps |
|---|---|---|---|
| 155 cm (5 ft 1 in) | 2.4 miles, 3.9 km | 2.8 miles, 4.5 km | 3.2 miles, 5.1 km |
| 160 cm (5 ft 3 in) | 2.5 miles, 4.0 km | 2.9 miles, 4.6 km | 3.3 miles, 5.3 km |
| 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) | 2.6 miles, 4.2 km | 3.1 miles, 4.9 km | 3.5 miles, 5.6 km |
| 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) | 2.7 miles, 4.3 km | 3.2 miles, 5.1 km | 3.6 miles, 5.8 km |
How long that takes depends on pace. A meta-analysis of walking speed in 23,111 healthy adults found that healthy walkers of any age cover a mile in roughly 18 to 28 minutes, with speed easing gradually through the sixties and seventies. At that pace, 6,000 steps for someone around 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) is about 45 minutes to an hour and ten minutes of walking in total over the day.
What older adults actually walk
A review of step counts in older adults (Tudor-Locke and colleagues, 2011) found that healthy older adults typically take 2,000 to 9,000 steps a day, a wide range. On days that include 30 minutes of moderate activity, such as a brisk walk, the review estimates healthy older adults reach about 7,000 to 10,000 steps.
So for many people, 6,000 to 8,000 is within reach of an ordinary day plus one proper walk.
How many days a week should a 70 year old walk?
Most days. The CDC puts the weekly minimum for adults 65 and older at 150 minutes of moderate activity, such as brisk walking, and gives the simplest way to get there: “30 minutes a day, 5 days a week”. On top of that it asks for at least 2 days of activities that strengthen muscles, and activities to improve balance. So a brisk half-hour walk on five days of the week covers the walking part.
How long should a mile take at 70?
About 23 minutes at a comfortable pace. A 2023 review of walking speed in 51,248 healthy adults (Andrews and colleagues, Journal of Physiotherapy) puts the average comfortable speed of people in their seventies at about 4.1 km/h (2.6 mph), and of people in their sixties at about 4.4 km/h (2.7 mph), which is a mile in about 22 minutes. A kilometre takes about 14 to 14½ minutes. These are averages for each decade, and healthy people vary more around them as they get older. The average walking speed guide has the table for every age.
More than steps
The US Physical Activity Guidelines have a section just for older adults, and steps are only part of it. On top of the advice for all adults, they say that older adults:
- should do “multicomponent physical activity that includes balance training as well as aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities” as part of their week,
- should set their level of effort relative to their own level of fitness,
- with chronic conditions, should understand whether and how those conditions affect their ability to be active safely,
- and when they cannot do 150 minutes of moderate activity a week because of a chronic condition, should be “as physically active as their abilities and conditions allow”.
Walking covers the aerobic part. Balance and strength need their own time, and the guidelines ask for those as well.
Starting from fewer steps
If your phone says you walk well under 6,000 a day now, the guidelines’ own words are the best guide: effort relative to your own fitness, and as active as your abilities and conditions allow. A number from a study of 47,471 people is an average, not a test you pass or fail.
Walking together, counted toward somewhere
Steps are easier to keep up with company. In reTrek you can walk the same route with your family as a team, pooling your steps toward one shared goal, so a grandchild’s school walk and your evening walk move you all along the same trail together. Every milestone has a short film about the place waiting, and your progress shows on the map every evening. Everest Base Camp is free. Start walking it together.