Daily Step Guide is a walking and fitness resource built around one idea: walking more is one of the best things you can do for your health. We publish guides to step counting, walking for weight loss, and the health research on daily movement.
Daily Step Guide is published by the team behind StepMax, a step counter app that is free to download. We say so here, and wherever an article mentions it.
Why we started this
Most walking advice online is vague, outdated, or sits behind a paywall, and the numbers people repeat (10,000 steps, 150 minutes) are rarely traced back to where they came from. We started this site to put the actual research and the actual figures in one place.
How we handle sources
Every article links to the papers it is based on and ends with a note on what we checked, what we couldn't, and what changed from earlier versions. Where a figure comes from a summary or abstract rather than the full paper, we say so. If you spot a claim without a source, email us and we'll look at it.
What we cover
Walking guides - daily step targets by age and fitness level, beginner walking plans, seasonal tips, and walking challenges to keep you motivated.
Health & science - how walking affects your heart, blood sugar, sleep, mental health, joints, and longevity. Articles cite the studies directly.
Weight loss - the real numbers behind calories burned walking, walking vs running for fat loss, post-meal walks, belly fat reduction, and realistic weight loss timelines.
Step counting - what to look for in a step counter, how steps convert to distance and calories, and how to read your own numbers.
About StepMax
StepMax is our own app, made by Cinderhound Studio. It counts steps in the background with your phone's built-in step sensor, which uses very little battery, and shows hourly, daily, monthly and custom-range charts. Version 4.0 on Android adds walk mapping: record a walk's route with GPS, follow your live distance and pace, and share the map when you finish. GPS uses more battery while a walk is being recorded.
It also has streaks of up to 1,000 days, uncapped levels, 172 achievements, 30 characters to collect, friend challenges, leaderboards and community walking events, in six languages. It is free to download, with ads and an optional paid VIP upgrade; some features, such as the lock screen walk tracker, need VIP.
We mention it on some pages because it's ours. We haven't tested it against other apps for these articles, and everything on this site works with any step counter, including the one built into your phone.
Get in touch
Have a question, article suggestion, or just want to say hi? Reach us at hello@dailystepguide.com.