Guides
Walk a little more than yesterday.
Plain answers about steps and walking with an iPhone: how many steps you need, what the numbers mean, and how to raise them without burning out.
- GoalsDoes walking burn belly fat?You can't choose where fat comes off, but walking does shrink belly fat. What the trials found, how much it takes, and why to measure your waist.
- MetricsWhat is the average walking speed?The average walking speed is about 3 mph (5 km/h). See average walking speed by age and sex in mph, km/h and m/s, and why your speed is a sign of health.
- GoalsHow to increase your daily steps: the 10% ruleAdd up to 10% to your daily steps each week. How the rule works, what the research really says, and when to hold or ease off instead of pushing on.
- HabitIs a walking pad worth it?A walking pad can add 1,600 steps to a desk day, but it's light activity, not exercise. What the research found, who it suits and if your iPhone counts it.
- HabitHow streaks build habitsStreaks keep you walking while a habit is fragile, but one break can make you quit. How they help habits form, and how to use one without it running you.
- GoalsWhy fixed step goals failA fixed step goal is too hard on busy days and too easy on free ones. Why one daily number backfires, and how to set a step goal that moves with you.
- GoalsWhat does walking 30 minutes a day do?What 30 minutes of walking a day adds up to in steps, miles and calories, the exercise guideline it meets, and what the research links it to.
- iPhoneWalking Steadiness and asymmetry on iPhoneWhat Walking Steadiness and walking asymmetry mean on iPhone, what's normal, where to find them in Apple Health, and how to improve a Low score.
- HabitGolden hour and sleep: do morning walks help?Morning light sets your body clock, and a walk is the easiest way to get it. What the research says about golden-hour walks and sleep, and when to go.
- GoalsJapanese interval walking: does it work?Three minutes fast, three minutes slow, five times over. What Shinshu University's trials found, how strong the evidence is, and how to try it tonight.
- iPhoneDoes your iPhone count steps in a bag?Yes: an iPhone in a handbag, shoulder bag or backpack counts steps about as well as one in a pocket. Here's when it misses, from pushchairs to your hand.
- GoalsIs walking enough exercise?Brisk walking meets the aerobic exercise guidelines on its own. What it leaves out, why strength work matters, and how to make your walks count for more.
- HabitA 30-day walking challenge you'll finishA 30-day walking challenge you can finish: a daily 10-minute walk, step targets that rise 10% a week, and a day-by-day table to print and tick off.
- MetricsWhat is walking double support?Double support is the share of each step when both feet are on the ground. What's normal, why it rises with age, and how your iPhone measures it.
- Start here · HabitMaking walking stickHow to make walking a daily habit that lasts: how long it takes, the cues that work, why one missed day is fine, and how to restart after a bad week.
- MetricsWalking heart rate: what's normal?What heart rate is normal on a walk? Easy and brisk ranges by age, what Apple Watch’s walking average means, and when a reading is worth a doctor’s check.
- iPhoneStep tracking without an Apple WatchYou don't need an Apple Watch to track steps. What your iPhone counts on its own, what you miss without a Watch, and how to fill each gap, mostly for free.
- Start here · iPhoneCounting steps on iPhoneHow your iPhone counts steps without an Apple Watch, where to find them in Health, how accurate the count is, and why it doesn't match your Watch's.
- Start here · MetricsWalking metrics, explainedWhat StepUp's nine walking metrics measure, from Momentum and Tempo to Evenness and Fitness, which need an Apple Watch, and where the data comes from.
- GoalsA walking plan for beginnersA simple eight-week walking plan for beginners: start from the steps you already take, add about 10% a week, and reach 7,000 steps and 150 minutes without burning out.
- GoalsIs 10,000 steps a day a myth?Where the 10,000-step goal came from, what the research says, and how many steps a day actually lower your risk of early death and dementia.
- Start here · GoalsHow many steps should I walk a day?How many steps a day you need at your age, what large studies found about 4,000, 7,000 and 10,000, and how to raise your goal without burning out.
