Image shows an outstretched arm sporting an Apple Watch, a device that is commonly used to track 10,000 steps

Ali Rees

Human beings love to measure things. If you start Googling tips on how to achieve something, it won’t be long before you find an article telling you to set some kind of measurable goal, particularly when it comes to fitness. So before you’ve even got your trainers on, a modest plan to get more exercise grows arms and legs. Enter the Fitbit and its motley crew of personal activity trackers, pre-programmed with the infamous activity goal: 10,000 steps per day.

One of the most effective ways to achieve something is to remove barriers and make it as easy as possible for yourself. So for most people, accepting the 10,000 steps shorthand ensures they will at least be striving for something. But is this phenomenon fact or fiction?

What’s the consensus on 10,000 steps?

Walking is undeniably an excellent way to get more exercise. I spoke to a range of professionals to find out about their perception on the 10,000 step phenomenon.

“Walking doesn’t require anything additional like a gym membership,” said community manager Tegan Murdoch, “it’s just me and a good place to walk. I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I walk my dog around a National Trust property, soak up the nature and serenity, and smash my step goal.”

“There is, however, very little general understanding of where the number 10,000 actually comes from”

Jay, a professional charity fundraiser, said: “I absolutely hate all gym-based cardio. I just feel stuck and bored. But out on a walk or a run, I can just listen to music or a podcast and not really feel any pressure to be exercising in a gym. Having two dogs that need walks makes it a lot easier as I always have a reason to go outside every day. I feel good about it because I know that I’m not totally sedentary.”

Step counting is an appealing way to measure physical activity because it’s so inherent to human movement. There is, however, very little general understanding of where the number 10,000 actually comes from.

When asked about the target figure, most folks acknowledge this. “That’s not really something I’ve looked into: I just know for me it’s a reasonable figure that I can achieve on most days,” said Surrey-based software developer, Ollie.

Where does the 10,000 steps concept come from?

Finding the source of the 10,000 steps goal is easier said than done. There are several stories which overlap, but disagree, on the details.

Health myth-busting podcast Maintenance Phase gives a comprehensive account of the origin story of the 10,000 steps phenomenon.

The hosts detail how in the run-up to the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, an increased interest in the health and activity levels of the Japanese population rose.

Researcher Dr Yoshiro Hatano, a professor at the Kyushu University of Health and Welfare, found that on average, people were getting 3-4,000 steps per day, and estimated that increasing this to 10,000 would significantly benefit their health. This number was seized by the company Yamasa, which produced and marketed a pedometer called the Manpo-Kei, translating to ‘10,000 step meter’. From there, rather than seeking to determine whether this figure held water, it was used as a baseline around which experiments were constructed.

Other sources, including the Financial Times, trace the phenomenon back to a conversation between a doctor, Iwao Ohya, and an engineer, Jiro Kato, at Yamasa.

Dr Ohya estimated that people need to be getting around 10,000 steps per day to maintain health, which resulted in Mr Kato devising the Manpo-Kei to help people reach this goal.

Still, The Guardian postulates that Yamasa invented the Manpo-Kei and used the buzz around the Olympics to create demand for their product, suggesting it was nothing more than a cynical cash grab.

The Atlantic claims that the number was chosen because in Japanese it looks a little like a man walking.

Is 10,000 a substantiated number?

Regardless of the true origins of 10,000 steps per day, it seems to be here for the long haul.

“is 10,000 steps per day really the best goal for everyone?”

A significant body of research now exists to support the theory that walking daily is an excellent way to stay healthy and decrease the risks of various negative health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease and dementia. Although there are, of course, studies showing a range of benefits for most kinds of exercise.

So, is 10,000 steps per day really the best goal for everyone? It’s easy to imagine this number as trivial for somebody who works on their feet, or who walks to work. It is also easy to see how this might be unattainable for someone who is disabled or chronically ill. Should they be pushing themselves to reach a goal which may seem out of reach?

“I try to aim for between 6-7k steps,” said Tegan. “I feel like my routine is so work-focused now to allow me to meet the 10k goal so I do feel disappointed when I don’t meet my target, but it usually just makes me try harder the next day.”

A positive or negative impact?

However, the disappointment felt when this goal isn’t reached might not be unfounded.

“intensity of exercise is just as important as quantity”

In 2019, I-Min Lee, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, published a large-scale study looking at all-cause mortality and daily step count. The research found that more steps did correlate with lower mortality, but only up to 7500, after which the effects plateaued. No additional benefits were found.

However, more recent research is beginning to highlight the fact that the intensity of exercise is just as important as quantity, if not more so.

The UK Government issued a press release in 2018 encouraging people to use the “Active 10” app to track ten-minute bursts of vigorous activity as opposed to counting steps throughout the day.

“the simple act of tracking can diminish the enjoyment of an activity, even when people have specifically chosen to track their movement”

Professor Sir Muir Gray, a Clinical Adviser for the Active 10 app, said: “The additional health benefits that can be achieved by walking at a brisk pace for periods of 10 minutes or more – as opposed to totting up a certain number of steps throughout the day – are undeniable.”

As well as the murky origins and the true scientific benefits of the number being unclear, research from Duke University conducted by Jordan Etkin found that the simple act of tracking can diminish the enjoyment of an activity, even when people have specifically chosen to track their movement.

“Measurement’s unintended harmful effects can thus extend beyond decreasing an activity’s enjoyment to reducing subjective well-being,” Etkin said.

Doing what’s right for you

Of course, this doesn’t ring true for everyone. “[Tracking my activity] increases my enjoyment,” said Joe Coelings, an HR professional from Michigan. “I try to use podcasts for walks, take the dog out, choose to walk to a location instead of drive, etc., and seeing the number climb up feels very good! It’s encouraging for me.”

There are many people who feel encouraged and inspired by the visual representation of progress as an increasing number.

Perhaps the most cogent piece of fitness advice remains one which is often repeated: find an activity that you enjoy. Take your dog on a scenic walk. Play football in the park with friends. Get a Nintendo Ring Fit game. Try to do something that regularly gets your heart rate up. If you feel like tracking your steps isn’t serving you, perhaps it’s time to take the Fitbit off.

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Featured image courtesy of Pixabay on Pexels. No changes were made to this image. Image license can be found here.

Queer, disabled mature student & freelance writer.

2 Comments

  1. Great article Ali, so interesting to go behind the received knowledge we take for truth and see what the reality is. Exercise should always be tailored to the persons goals and how their body is reacting.

  2. This article is amazing! Well researched, very informative and gives some answers to the 10,000 steps trend.
    Easy to read.

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