10K Daily Steps Not Required for Health

Ten thousand walking steps a day have been a gold standard for many people. Misbar discovered that the same health benefits gained from walking 10,000 steps a day may be achieved with fewer steps. A study published in JAMA has shown that, on average, approximately 4,400 steps a day is enough to significantly lower the risk of death in women. The more steps people walked, the lower their risk of dying was, before leveling off at around 7,500 steps a day. There were no additional benefits with more steps.

According to Harvard Medical School, the idea of 10,000 steps originally came in 1965, when a Japanese company made a device named Manpo-kei, which translates to “10,000 steps meter.” According to Dr. Lee, associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the name was a marketing tool but since became ingrained in our health consciousness. Fitness tracking devices like the Fitbit even incorporated 10,000 steps into their design. 

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends all healthy adults aged 18–65 should participate in moderate intensity aerobic physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes on five days per week, or vigorous intensity aerobic activity for a minimum of 20 minutes on three days per week.