Reaching the golden number of 10,000 steps a day has long been hailed as one of the best ways to keep us in tip-top shape, both physically and mentally.
Studies have suggested that reaching five-figure steps can reduce the risk of a range of serious health problems, including dementia, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
But walking that far at a normal pace can take about two hours, an impractical goal for many with busy lives.
However, experts say you can reap many of the same benefits of 10,000 steps by walking faster for shorter periods or by exercising for less than half an hour.
Here, MailOnline highlights this history, the science of the 10,000 step goal and asks personal trainers and exercise experts whether we really need to walk this number every day…
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Studies suggest that the magic number can reduce your risk of developing dementia, type 2 diabetes and heart disease
Where does the ‘magic’ number come from?
Walking 10,000 steps a day has long been seen as the holy grail of regular fitness.
It is automatically enrolled in many pedometers, fitness watches and smartphones as the default recommended step goal.
But surprisingly, this number was not the result of large-scale forensic science research.
Instead, it was plucked out of thin air as part of a clever marketing ploy by a Japanese company trying to sell pedometers sixty years ago.
The 1964 Tokyo Olympics were underway at the time, and many companies in the country were trying to tap into and capitalize on a greater focus on fitness.
One company called Yamasa launched a pedometer called the Manpo-kei, which literally means “10,000 step meters” in Japanese.
Although they didn’t foresee it at the time, they launched a worldwide fascination with this number and everyday fitness.
But this arbitrary figure was not based on any science at the time. Instead, it was chosen simply because it was a beautiful, round, memorable figure.
The 10,000 steps goal grew out of a clever marketing ploy by a Japanese company that tried to sell pedometers in the wake of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. At the time, there was an increasing focus on fitness in the host country and companies tried to capitalize on the craze surrounding the Games (photo, an advertisement for the original gadget)
Health benefits of walking 10,000 steps
Although the original campaign to walk 10,000 steps a day was not based on science, researchers have since discovered that it could have benefits.
Since the 1964 Olympics, studies have consistently shown that 10,000 daily steps is a good range for anyone looking to stay healthy – and that it seems much more beneficial than simply sticking to 5,000.
Experts universally agree that walking every day has numerous health benefits.
“Increasing physical activity, such as the number of steps taken by walking, contributes to better cardiovascular fitness, weight management, better mood, better sleep and improved cognitive function,” said Lindsay Bottoms, exercise and research researcher health physiology at the University of Hertfordshire to MailOnline.
Not only is walking ‘simple’ and ‘accessible’, making it a ‘practical’ exercise for people of all ages, it also reduces the risk of many chronic diseases, Ms Bottoms said.
It can also reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases such as dementia and certain cancers. Plus, it can also improve existing health conditions like diabetes and boost the immune system, she said.
One study found that for every 2,000 steps per day, equivalent to about 15 minutes of walking, the risk of premature death fell between 8 and 11 percent.
But there does appear to be an upper limit, with the researchers finding that the health benefits of walking more than 10,000 steps are negligible.
In another study, which followed 78,500 Britons aged 40 to 79, participants had to wear a pedometer for a week to track their daily step count.
The researchers, from Denmark and Australia, returned seven years later to see if any of the participants had a diagnosis of dementia.
The results suggested that 9,800 steps were optimal for preventing dementia, apparently reducing the risk by 51 percent.
According to a recent study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, walking between 9,000 and 10,500 steps a day reduces the risk of heart disease by as much as 21 percent and early death by as much as 10 percent, in ‘very sedentary’ people. adults.
Do you really need to get 10,000 steps?
Experts say 10,000 steps is far from a magic number for everyone.
Although touted as the ideal goal to stay fit and healthy, not everyone has the time to take 10,000 steps every day, which is the equivalent of walking five kilometers.
Instead, experts say walking fewer steps at a faster pace could yield many of the same benefits.
‘There’s no need to take a set number of steps every day,’ London-based personal trainer Matt Roberts told MailOnline.
He explained that, instead of 10,000 steps, exercising for less than 40 minutes or more every day will increase your chances of burning fat.
However, it’s better to walk these steps long and fast in one go than to walk many short steps throughout the day, he explained.
“That’s about 3,000 to 5,000 steps walking quite quickly and you’re making gains,” he said.
‘The reason more steps may be needed is that for most people there simply isn’t a period where 3,000 to 5,000 steps are done in one period.
“If you walk more steps over the course of the day, you’ll burn more calories, but there’s no guarantee you’ll burn fat if that’s your goal.”
Although it is touted as the daily goal to stay fit and healthy, not everyone has the time to take 10,000 steps, which is the equivalent of walking five kilometers
Studies have also shown health benefits from a lower but faster step count.
The researchers who found that 9,800 steps were optimal for preventing dementia also revealed that walking 6,300 steps but at a high pace (40 steps per minute) made people 57 percent less likely to develop dementia.
This suggests that fewer steps at a faster pace can be just as good or better.
Research also shows that you don’t have to count your steps if you exercise extra, even for less than half an hour a day.
A meta-analysis of 11,000 people published in 2023 found that those who exercised for just 22 minutes a day had a 40 percent lower risk of death compared to those who did not exercise at all.
Simply exercising more and not being sedentary can also be enough to have a significant impact on your health.
Ms Bottoms said: ‘In recent years, research has shown that longer sitting times can increase our risk of several health problems and this can be reduced by simply exercising more.
‘For some people, however, having a goal to achieve helps motivate them to move.
‘I would focus more on breaking up the sedentary time and making sure you can get in as many steps as possible and just be more active.’
She suggests aiming for around 7,000 steps per day and if you can’t achieve this, increase your step count by 1,000 per day to gradually get closer to your goal.