Want to lose weight? 10,000 steps.
Want to have better cardiovascular health? 10,000 steps.
Never want to take any health supplements for the rest of your life? 10,000 steps.
Well, the last one is an exaggeration, but you get what I mean. 10,000 steps has become the magical fitness number for every single health problem you’re trying to solve.
But does 10,000 steps actually work? Has it been scientifically proven that it will optimise your health in many ways as advertised? I dug deeper and here’s what I found
Quick break, why did I even look into this?
Well, being injured lately, my physiotherapist has advised me to take a break from running, which was my main source of cardio. I had to to look for more low-impact cardio alternatives, while most fitness blogs and even ChatGPT suggested things like stationary cycling, eliptical machines, and rowing machines – I hate doing cardio on machines.
I enjoy being outside in nature since I already spend most of my hours on my office desk. Naturally, walking outdoors became the best option.
Diving deeper, all online resources point to 10,000 steps as the goal I should be aiming for. I did some quick calculations and found that I’ll need to do 2 hours of brisk walking to reach 10,000 steps.
That’s a big commitment for someone who doesn’t have the leisure of time. So I went on to research: Do I really need 10,000 steps, and does it actually give all the benefits that’s been marketed?
Where the idea of 10,000 steps came from
The origin of 10,000 steps can be traced back to the far east in Japan, way back in the 1960s.
A Japanese company named Yamasa built a wearable pedometer (step counter) called the “manpo-kei” which literally translates to “10,000 steps meter”.
Why 10,000? Because it was catchy!
And it blew up even further during the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, as Yamasa used the event to promote its 10,000-step meter.
And the world has seemed to adopt it since.
So, it’s all just a marketing gimmick?
Yes, it started as a marketing gimmick but there is still some truth behind it, as surely walking more is good for your body?
Here’s what science says.
According to this research by Harvard Medical School, older women who averaged 4,400 daily steps had a 41% reduction in mortality.
What’s even more interesting is that the mortality rates continuously improved before it levelled off at 7,500 daily steps. So if your concern is to live longer, getting 7,500 steps in every day seems to be the optimal amount.
What about the number of daily steps against chronic diseases such as heart disease and stroke?
This research suggests that anywhere between 6,000 and 8,000 steps is a good range to aim for.
So should I still aim for 10,000 steps per day?
It really depends on your goal. From the research above, it seems that 7,500 daily steps is a good goal to aim for for long-term health and cardiovascular benefits.
That doesn’t mean you have to get 7,500 calories in at one go. Doing your laundry, getting to your grocery store, and many daily activities are already helping you get your steps in.
Say you can get 2,500 steps in from daily activities; all you have to do is do more brisk walking for 30 to 45 minutes every day to top that amount up.
If you’re trying to lose weight, aiming for 10,000 daily steps is still a good goal to have, as you’re burning more calories to be in a caloric deficit.
But if you’re just starting off, I’d suggest working your way up progressively. Depending on your age and how developed your muscles are, it may be a challenge to kick things up a notch all of a sudden.
The worst thing that can happen is to suffer from an injury. So take things slow. Remember, fitness is a lifestyle change, not a job that you’re forced to do!
I hope you found this article insightful. Let’s work on getting those steps in people!