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We know that regular exercise to increase the heart rate helps to reduce the risk of illness and improve your mental as well as physical health. And, walking can be part of your regular exercise. But, 10,000 steps a day? Is that backed by real science or is it just marketing flannel?
How much exercise is 10,000 steps?
First, how much exactly is a step? Depending on the length of your stride, 10,000 steps usually works out at around 8 kilometres or 5 miles. Many fitness trackers or pedometers use a default average step length of 0.67 metres (2.2 feet) for women and 0.76 metres (2.5 feet) for men. So one kilometre would take almost 1,500 steps for women compared to around 1,300 steps for men. (A mile would take 2,400 steps for women and just over 2,100 for men.) And, of course, if you’re blessed with long legs, you will cover the distance in fewer steps.
This means that one person’s step could be another person’s step and a half, which leaves the 10,000 “daily steps” target as, perhaps, not the most precise universally applicable unit of recommended daily exercise…
So where did 10,000 steps come from?
Yes, you’ve guessed it: marketing. 10,000 steps a day dates back to a marketing campaign conducted shortly before the start of the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games. A Japanese company, Yamasa Tokei, began selling the first commercial pedometer and called it the Manpo-kei: “man” meaning 10,000, “po” meaning steps and “kei” meaning meter. The name was chosen because it sounded good and the campaign worked. The “10,000 steps meter” was a huge commercial success. So much so that the magic “10,000” number took hold as a health metric across the world.
Walking is good for your health, but are 10,000 steps really necessary?
10,000 steps might not be a precise metric but it undoubtedly has its advantages. It’s a convenient number for people to remember; walking around 8 kilometres or 5 miles a day for many is a stretching target which is linked to health benefits; and walking is an accessible activity for most people. You don’t need to take a class or have access to a gym for a “walking workout”.
But, is it necessary to hit 10,000 steps a day? Here’s what some of the research shows:
The research on 10,000 steps a day
Taking 8,000 to 12,000 steps a day is linked to a lower risk of dying of any cause during the study, compared with 4,000 steps a day, according to a 2020 research study.
Similarly, a 2019 research study on older women found that those who walked 4,400 steps a day or more had lower mortality rates, during four years of monitoring, compared to those who walked the least – 2,700 steps a day or less. But interestingly, the reduction in risk seemed to plateau at around the 7,500 steps a day mark. And, the research found no additional benefits to walking 10,000 or more steps every day.
Even walking just 30 minutes a day – that’s around 5,000 steps on a brisk walk – five days a week, has been associated with a 19% reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease, reported a 2009 research study.
So, the research appears to support the view that a daily walk is not just a pleasant way to spend your time, but it will also help you to stay healthy. Even if you don’t complete 10,000 steps a day. So, get yourself a pair of decent walking shoes and commit yourrself to a daily walking programme . And afterwards, relax in a well earned hot bath with the twelfth element magnesium body soak. Bliss.