We’ve all heard that 10,000 steps a day is the secret to a long life and tons of health benefits, from weight loss to improved mood to cardiovascular health. And of course, walking is great exercise and has a lot of health benefits. However, it seems that that number is not necessarily backed by science, and actually is quite arbitrary. A lot of studies show that walking less than that can still be beneficial, and pushing yourself to that number can, in fact, hamper some people’s progress. Especially if they have an all-or-nothing mentality about it. The bottom line is that rather than focusing on a specific number of steps a day, we should be focusing more on just consistently moving. Even if you aren’t getting in a full 10,000 or aren’t even counting your steps, you can still improve your health just by taking a walk or a few short walks each day.
Is 10,000 Steps a Day Really the Secret to Long-Term Health?
Marketing, Not Science
The 10,000 steps a day notion is one that has been around for a long time. But does it actually have science backing it up? The answer is yes and no. The specifics of the number definitely don’t, but the idea of getting more steps in overall certainly can improve your health. The idea of 10,000 actually came from a Japanese company that created a step counter. The name of it was the 10,000 step meter, because the Japanese character for 10,000 resembles a man walking. And the idea continues to stick around today due to some great marketing and PR.
What the Studies Show
While 10,000 steps a day is a great goal to set for yourself, the science doesn’t really support it specifically. Numerous studies show that even moving 5000 steps or so in a day can still vastly improve your cardiovascular health. The number is somewhat arbitrary, but it’s a nice clean whole number for people to easily remember. The actual secret is simply to be consistent about your exercise routines.
Drawbacks
One of the drawbacks to this notion of 10,000 steps a day is that it can give some people an all-or-nothing attitude towards exercising. For example, if they are having a very busy day at work, and know that they won’t be able to have time for a long walk to get their 10,000 steps, they might neglect to get out and exercise at all. They “throw in the towel” for the day, or possible the rest of the week. Instead, they could still aim to take a few short walks with their limited free time. And of course, for those with injuries like stress fractures, plantar fasciitis, or back pain, walking that many steps can actually aggravate injuries and cause flare-ups. It’s always best to seek advice from a doctor before starting any kind of exercise program.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that ultimately, it doesn’t necessarily matter exactly what the number is that everybody should strive for in a day. The main thing is just to be consistent about getting out and exercising at least a little bit each and every day. Just going for a walk with the dog, or doing a little yoga after work can help your body stay limber, tone muscles, and improve your cardiovascular health. If you feel that 10,000 is an easy number to remember, and don’t feel like you’ll get overly fixated on it, then go ahead and set it as a personal goal. But even just getting up and moving more will still improve your health.
The idea of 10,000 steps a day is one that has gained a lot of popularity over the years. And this likely is because it’s easy to remember, and feels like an attainable but impressive goal to reach every day. And while it can indeed improve your health to increase your step count, the 10,000 steps is more a product of great marketing than actual science. The important thing is to get out and move your body some each day. Whether that be a short walk, jog, hike, yoga, or just playing tag with your children, any kind of exercise can give you long-term health benefits. If you are somebody that gets overly focused on a goal and winds up with an all-or-nothing mentality, it might be better to take a less structured approach to exercise. And if you suffer from any injuries that walking aggravates, you should ask a doctor for advice before starting any kind of exercise regimen. Whether you get 3000 or 15000 steps in each day, the focus is just on moving more, getting your blood flowing, getting outside for some fresh air, and keeping your body healthy.
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