Fact or myth?: How true is it that you should walk 10,000 steps a day?

Walk

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The step counter on my phone reads 9,850, and anxiety sets in: "I'm 150 short of my goal." The 10,000-step-a-day goal has become something of a dogma of modern wellness, but how true is it that this number is necessary for health?

This figure was standardized in the 1960s, as Japan prepared for the Olympic Games. At that time, the Japanese population began to raise awareness about physical activity to combat lifestyle-related diseases.

Considering that walking is one of the simplest forms of exercise, a device was introduced to the market that could be worn around the waist and count the number of steps. This allowed each person to have an accurate idea of the distance traveled and to continually exceed their goal.

This tool, known as a pedometer, became so popular that it began to be marketed under the slogan Manpo-kei, which literally means "10,000 steps" in Japanese. From then on, several walking clubs emerged, which established that number as a minimum distance.

Gradually, this concept spread from the Asian public to the rest of the world and began to be used as a model by the fitness community.

Walk

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How much science supports this theory?

The Department of Movement and Sport Sciences at Ghent University (Belgium) conducted a study on the validity of increasing physical activity to help people improve their health. The objective was to determine how much walking 10,000 steps contributed to physical well-being.

The study included 866 participants who followed a 10,000-steps-a-day fitness plan and monitored their progress. The report concluded that while the effect was positive, it was not sustained over the next few years.

Other studies have shown that Manpo-kei isn't a strict requirement, as a person who regularly walks 6,000 steps a day can also maintain good health. In fact, more than just steps, 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per week is recommended.

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