Why 10,000 Steps? Here’s Where This Daily Fitness Goal Comes From—and Whether It’s Worth Following
Ever wondered about the origin of the 10,000 steps fitness goal? Let's delve into its history and evaluate its effectiveness. Is it a scientifically backed benchmark or just a catchy number? Let's find out.
The magic number is 10,000 steps
This number is crucial for physical and mental health in the short- and long-term
- In 1964, Yoshiro Hatano created the ‘Manpo-kei’ as a pedometer-like device to encourage people to get on their feet during the Olympic season
- The name itself utilized the Japanese character for ‘10,000’ which resembles a human in motion
It has now spread to the U.S. and other countries, becoming the health standard recommended by The World Health Organization, American Heart Association, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Everyone’s activity needs are different and should be determined by a plethora of factors
- If you want to determine your personal movement goals, Jenai says to start with where you are right now by tracking how many steps you naturally achieve on a typical day.
- Once you establish your baseline starting point, the next part is to be patient with yourself and create a realistic timeline for achieving your daily steps goal.
Keep walking and tracking your progress toward an active, always-moving lifestyle
10,000 steps is a reasonable barometer for checking in with yourself to make sure you are being as active as your brain and body needs you to be each day.
- There will be many days when you surpass it completely, and other days where you take way fewer than 10K steps. It’s all about progress, not perfection.