The magic number shows up on smartwatches, fitness apps and office step challenges. For many, hitting 10,000 steps in a day has become a marker of good health \u2014 a goal that prompts post-dinner walks, lunchtime laps around the block and a reason to park a little farther away.<\/p>\n
While the target is widely embraced by doctors and their patients, its origins are less scientific than some may expect.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe whole idea behind the 10,000 steps was actually a marketing campaign for a company in Japan that developed a pedometer,\u201d said David Raichlen, professor of biological sciences and anthropology at USC.<\/p>\n
The idea of walking 10,000 steps a day gained popularity in Japan in the 1960s, when a company introduced a pedometer called the Manpo-kei \u2014 a name that translates to \u201c10,000 step meter.\u201d Released around the time of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, the product gave people a numerical goal and helped sell pedometers.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was kind of brilliant,\u201d Raichlen said. \u201cIs it arbitrary? Yes.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A couple take advantage of pleasant weather to walk their dog in the Venice Canal Historic District in Venice Beach.<\/p>\n
(Allen J. Schaben \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n
Researchers say that even if the number wasn\u2019t evidence-based at the time, it caught on for a reason \u2014 and may have landed close to a meaningful benchmark.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt turns out, bizarrely enough, they probably weren\u2019t that far off, even though they did not have any of the epidemiological data to support it at the time,\u201d Raichlen said.<\/p>\n
In the years since the 10,000 step target gained attraction, researchers have tried to pinpoint how many daily steps are actually linked to better health outcomes. Some studies show that benefits such as reduced risk of cardiovascular disease begin around 2,500 to 3,000 steps a day. Others suggest a plateau of health-related benefits begins around 7,500 steps, Raichlen said. <\/p>\n
Still, many public health messages continue to promote the five-digit mark, and fitness trackers, including Fitbits and other smart devices, often set 10,000 steps as the default daily goal.<\/p>\n
Dr. Gregg C. Fonarow, interim chief of cardiology at UCLA, said step counts are a practical, easy-to-understand way to communicate physical activity guidelines with patients. He often recommends 10,000 steps and doesn\u2019t view the number as random.<\/p>\n
\u201cConveying step count is one of the ways of quantifying, easily and understandably, a trackable, actionable way to communicate what would be a good level of physical activity for them,\u201d Fonarow said.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Searches for \u201cwalking 10000 steps\u201d have increased over the past five years.<\/p>\n
(Google Trends)<\/p>\n
He said 10,000 steps equals roughly five miles of walking and about 150 minutes of moderate-to-intense activity \u2014 in line with existing guidelines for weekly exercise.<\/p>\n
Still, Fonarow acknowledges that research findings vary. He cites one study that found risk reduction plateaued around 7,500 steps for older women, while other studies have found benefit continuing through 10,000 steps or more. \u201cWalking is a fantastic form of exercise,\u201d Fonarow said. \u201cIt improves blood pressure, supports brain health, reduces insulin resistance and helps strengthen the blood vessels.\u201d<\/p>\n
Raichlen said he typically avoids prescribing specific thresholds. While 10,000 steps may be a useful goal for some, he said, it is not a requirement for good health.<\/p>\n
\u201cA little bit is better than nothing, and then a little bit more is better than that,\u201d Raichlen said.<\/p>\n
However, the type of walking matters. Researchers have found that cadence \u2014 how many steps a person takes per minute \u2014 can influence the impact of physical activity. A brisk walk offers greater cardiovascular benefit than a slower pace even with the same total step count.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Wes Brumbaugh, left, and Tucker O\u2019Neill get in some steps on their 41-mile walk across Los Angeles. In 2023, they went from Pasadena to Santa Monica.<\/p>\n
(Irfan Khan \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to run,\u201d Raichlen said. \u201cBut more intensity is generally better.\u201d<\/p>\n
What\u2019s not clear, he said, is whether there\u2019s an upper limit where benefits begin to decline \u2014 or if more steps always yield more return.<\/p>\n
He said walking more is generally tied to lower risk of several chronic conditions, including diabetes, dementia and cardiovascular disease, but the risk reduction plateaus after a certain point.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe health outcome you are interested in \u2014 whether that be heart disease, diabetes, dementia \u2014 there are different steps recommended,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Raichlen also pointed out that the effectiveness of a given step count may differ by age and that most existing studies rely on wrist-worn accelerometers, which can vary in precision.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can use multiple methods and end up with multiple different step counts from the exact same person,\u201d Raichlen said, adding that his sister-in-law and her son tracked their steps on a recent trip to Disneyland using different devices \u2014 one with a phone, the other with an Apple Watch \u2014 and came away with very different totals.<\/p>\n
That variation, he said, reinforces the importance of using step counts as a guide rather than a rigid rule.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe best thing people can do is to be their own study,\u201d Raichlen said. \u201cLook at what you\u2019re doing today and try to do more tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fonarow said he often encourages patients to build activity gradually. For those who are largely sedentary, trying to walk 10,000 steps on day one may not be practical. \u201cWe really need to personalize these recommendations,\u201d he said, adding that some people may choose to add resistance \u2014 like a weighted backpack \u2014 for additional benefits, but it\u2019s not necessary for improved health.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The Culver City EverWalk Walking Club, one of several walking groups in L.A., usually meets on the first Saturday of every month.<\/p>\n
(Christina House \/ Los Angeles Times)<\/p>\n
Dr. Parveen Garg of Keck Medicine of USC also sees patients aiming to meet step goals. While spreading activity throughout the week is ideal, he said it\u2019s fine if some days are more active than others. For patients with limited time or energy, walking more on the weekends or during longer breaks can still offer meaningful benefits.<\/p>\n
Garg said he reminds patients that walking is beneficial even at lower levels. Multiple studies show that risk of cardiovascular disease and premature death decreases measurably beginning around 2,500 steps per day, he said.<\/p>\n
While spreading activity throughout the week is ideal, he said it\u2019s fine if some days are more active than others. For patients with limited time or energy, walking more on the weekends or during longer breaks can still offer meaningful benefits. Like other experts, Garg emphasizes that the benefits of movement don\u2019t begin at 10,000 steps \u2014 they can start much earlier. <\/p>\n
\u201cAs humans, we like goals,\u201d Garg said. \u201cWe like to feel like we\u2019ve accomplished something. We like to check off boxes. \u2026 It does give people a goal to accomplish. In that aspect, it\u2019s really great \u2014 as long as it does not discourage people.\u201d<\/p>\n
He encourages his patients to prioritize aerobic activity \u2014 movement that gets the heart rate up \u2014 even if it\u2019s done in short bursts or mixed into daily routines.<\/p>\n
Whether a person walks 2,000 steps or 10,000, local experts agree the key is consistency, and increasing activity over time can be beneficial.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust keep moving,\u201d Raichlen said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The magic number shows up on smartwatches, fitness apps and office step challenges. For many, hitting 10,000 steps…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":57661,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[27278,19457,40452,42157,2385,1198,42159,42155,210,6291,13987,3546,26298,42156,42158,7572,6620,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-57660","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-activity","9":"tag-benefit","10":"tag-cardiovascular-disease","11":"tag-david-raichlen","12":"tag-day","13":"tag-fitness","14":"tag-fonarow","15":"tag-goal","16":"tag-health","17":"tag-other","18":"tag-patient","19":"tag-people","20":"tag-researcher","21":"tag-step","22":"tag-step-count","23":"tag-study","24":"tag-time","25":"tag-united-states","26":"tag-unitedstates","27":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114836307304854749","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57660","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=57660"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/57660\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/57661"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=57660"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=57660"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=57660"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}