10,000 Steps Day: Necessary or Not?
Recent research suggests that the popular 10,000-step daily goal originated as a marketing slogan rather than a scientific requirement. Studies indicate that significant health benefits, including reduced mortality and cardiovascular risk, are maximized at approximately 7,000 steps per day.
Why it matters
Correcting health myths helps individuals set more realistic and evidence-based fitness goals, potentially increasing long-term adherence to physical activity.
You've probably heard that hitting 10,000 steps a day is the key to health and longevity.
Lecturer in Exercise Science, Adelaide University
This magic number feels like a medical rule, handed down by doctors across the globe.
But where did it come from? And is it even true?
Believe it or not, but the infamous 10,000 steps a day recommendation didn't come from a research laboratory.
It came from a Japanese pedometer called the manpo-kei which translates to "10,000-step meter".
This pedometer went on sale just after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, at a time when there was a growing worry people in Japan weren't moving enough.
The number was mainly chosen was because it was catchy and easy to remember. The Japanese kanji character for 10,000 - 万 - even looks a little like a walking person , which may have played a role in deciding on the number.
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