Step counter
The step counter in LifeWell is a manual step-count log. Each day you type in the count from whatever source you use — phone health app, smartwatch face, pedometer — and the page tracks your progress against a daily target (default 8000, configurable 1000–30000). The page shows today's total, the weekly average, the current streak of days at or above your target, and a 30-day trend chart.
LifeWell does not read your phone's step sensor. This is a deliberate design choice: integrating with Apple Health, Google Fit, Samsung Health, or Capacitor's motion plugin adds significant complexity, permissions overhead, and platform fragmentation for a feature that — for most users — just needs to capture a number once a day.
How to use it
- Open your step source — phone Health app, smartwatch, Fitbit, or wherever your steps are counted.
- Note today's total.
- Open the step counter and type it in.
- Save.
Replace your previous entry for the day if you log again later — the page keeps the latest entry for each calendar day, not multiple per day.
Inputs
| Field | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Step count | 1–100,000 | Validates to a reasonable upper bound (the world record for most steps in 24 hours is around 195,000, but those are outlier feats) |
| Date | Defaults to today; back-dateable | Useful if you forgot to log a day |
| Notes | Optional | Free text — workout type, weather, route |
Daily target
The default target is 8000 steps, configurable from 1000 to 30000 under Preferences → Daily targets. The often-cited 10,000-step figure originated from a 1960s Japanese marketing campaign (the manpo-kei pedometer, literally "10,000-step meter"), not from peer-reviewed health research.
More recent studies have a more nuanced view:
- Lee et al., JAMA Internal Medicine 2019 — studied women aged 70+ and found mortality risk decreased substantially from ~2700 to ~7500 steps/day, with diminishing returns above that.
- Paluch et al., The Lancet Public Health 2022 — meta-analysis showing benefits across populations starting at ~3800 steps/day, with optimal range ~6000–8000 for older adults and 8000–10000 for younger adults.
The 8000 default is in line with this research. Pick whatever target motivates you and don't get fixated on a single round number.
Output
- Today's total (your latest entry for the day).
- Daily progress vs your target.
- Weekly average (last 7 entries).
- Streak of consecutive days at or above target.
- 30-day trend chart.
What this tool is and isn't
- Is a manual log of your daily step count plus a simple goal-tracking layer.
- Is a way to bring step data from any source into LifeWell's wellness aggregate (the activity dashboard and wellness score).
- Is not an automatic pedometer.
- Is not a step-accuracy reference. Step counts from different sources vary — phones tend to under-count (they miss steps when in a pocket vs. swinging arm), wrist devices vary by gait and position. Pick one source and stick with it for consistent comparisons.
Reminders
A daily evening reminder ("Did you hit your step goal today?") is available under Reminders → Step counter. Default off.
Worked example
Wednesday evening, you check your iPhone Health app: 9347 steps. Open the step counter, type 9347, save. The page shows:
- Today's total: 9347 steps.
- Goal: 8000 steps.
- Progress: 117% (over target).
- Weekly average (last 7 days): 7842 steps.
- Streak: 4 days at/above target.
Limits
- Source dependency. Garbage in, garbage out. If your step source over-counts, your LifeWell numbers will too.
- No GPS / route mapping. This is a count, not a route tracker. For routes, use a dedicated app (Strava, Komoot, AllTrails).
- No calorie estimation per step. Calorie burn per step varies massively with body weight, stride length, pace, and terrain. The step count is the count; calories are not inferred.
- One source of truth per day — the page replaces an entry if you log twice on the same date. If you want multi-day backfill, log each date separately.
Future: motion sensor integration
A native step-counter using the Capacitor motion plugin (with Android Accelerometer and iOS CoreMotion) is on the roadmap. It will be opt-in and battery-conscious. For now, manual entry keeps the surface simple, private, and battery-free.
Frequently asked
Why is the goal 8000 and not 10,000? The 10,000 number is a marketing artifact, not a clinical recommendation. Recent research (Paluch et al., Lancet Public Health 2022) shows benefits starting much lower, with diminishing returns past 8,000–10,000. We default to 8000; raise it if you want to challenge yourself.
Can I import a CSV of historical step counts? Not yet. CSV import is on the roadmap. For now, manual back-dating one entry at a time.
My phone shows 8500 but my watch shows 9200. Which do I log? Pick one source and stick with it. Most users find the watch consistently higher (it catches steps the phone misses when in a pocket). If you switch sources, expect a step or two in your trend chart.
Does the step count feed wellness score? Yes — daily target hit is a wellness-score input. See Wellness scoring.
What about active minutes? Active minutes are tracked separately under Exercise. Walking session minutes from there feed the active-minute total, while step count feeds a separate "steps today" metric.
Where to read next
- Exercise and workouts — log walks and structured workouts.
- Wellness scoring — how steps feed the score.
- Preferences → Daily targets — adjust the step goal.
- Reminders — daily-step reminder setup.
Last updated: 2026-05-11 Author: Ahsan Mahmood
:::note Health information — not medical advice LifeWell and this documentation are provided for general wellness and educational purposes only. They are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, and nothing here is intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional with questions about your health, and never disregard or delay professional advice because of something you read here. In an emergency, contact your local emergency services. :::