How many steps do you actually need to walk in a day? Hint: It's not 10,000. FacebookTwitterEmail How many steps do you need to walk in a day?TravelCouples/Getty Images Lots of people think they need to walk 10,000 steps a day to be healthy. Recently, I took on the 10,000 step challenge for a week. In the middle of winter. My timing was not great! But where did 10,000 steps come from? And does anyone really need to walk that much in a day just to be healthy? To find out, I talked to former Surgeon General Dr. Kenneth P. Moritsugu. I wanted professional input on what a real daily step goal should be.