Recommended fitness targets can, at times, seem arbitrary.
Take the advice to walk 10,000 steps.
The lofty step goal translates to roughly five miles and more than an hour of walking a day depending on your stride length and frequency.
So how did the 10,000 number come to be? What are the health benefits? More importantly, is the target realistic for busy people?
Those answers are nuanced and depend largely on your current level of activity, time availability and occupation, says Andrew R. Jagim, Ph.D., director of sports medicine research at Mayo Clinic. But you might be pleasantly surprised by how quickly you can amass more steps by making small adjustments to your daily routine, Dr. Jagim says.
The 10,000-step goal originated in Japan
In the 1960s, Japanese walking clubs adopted the use of a pedometer called manpo-kei, which translates to 10,000 steps meter.
At the time, scientists knew that more movement generally led to improved health and longevity. However, there was no research to support 10,000 steps as an optimal activity goal. This didn’t stop the concept from catching on. Soon, people all over the world were preoccupied with step counting, with devices and activity programs often centered on hitting the 10,000-a-day threshold for step activity.
“While the origination of the 10,000-a-day threshold was a bit speculative and rather arbitrary in nature, there have since been several publications demonstrating a relationship between higher levels of daily step counts and reductions in premature death from any cause,” says Dr. Jagim.
How far to walk for improved health and a longer life
Recently, several large studies have put the 10,000 steps advice to the test.
In one of them, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, older women who walked 4,400 steps a day had a 41% lower death rate over the four-year duration of the study compared with women who took 2,700 steps. The risk reduction was even greater for people who took 7,500 steps but largely leveled off after that.
In other research that combined the data from 15 studies involving 47,471 adults, the risk of death over a seven-year span dropped significantly as step counts went up. Compared with adults with the lowest step counts (median, 3,553), people who took the most steps (median, 10,901) had a 40% to 53% lower risk of premature death over seven years.
In addition to adding years to your life, increased step counts also can reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer and dementia, according to other research.
Why more steps translate to better health
Increased step counts seem to protect health in at least two ways, says Dr. Jagim.
First, regular exercise and daily activity help to condition the bones, muscles and blood vessels, protecting their overall functionality, he says.
Second, the more you move, the less you sit. That’s key because excess sitting has been linked with blood vessel conditions, joint stiffness, poor metabolic function and reduced longevity.
In one study involving 149,077 participants, people who sat for more than eight hours a day were more likely to die over the study time period of 8.9 years compared with those who sat for less than four hours each day. Even if you exercise for an hour a day, you won’t be able to fully undo the negative health ramifications of excessive sitting, finds other research.
“Daily exercise sessions are great,” says Dr. Jagim. “But if you work out for an hour and then sit the rest of the day, it is like taking two steps forward and one step back. By getting in more steps, you break up those long periods of sedentary behavior.”
What’s the right number of steps for me?
Though various studies have examined slightly different minimum and maximum step counts, they all point to the following advice.
“Any activity, no matter how minimal, is better than no activity, and more activity is better than less,” says Dr. Jagim.
In addition, increasing your intensity — by pushing your pace during segments of faster walking or running — can lead to even greater benefits, says Dr. Jagim.
To determine your personal walking goal, first figure out how many daily steps you currently take.
To do this, wear a step counter — most smartphones can double as pedometers — for a week. Then, use that data to determine your daily step average.
Once you know your baseline, try to add 1,000 extra steps a day every two weeks.
So if you currently take 2,500 steps daily, aim for 3,500. Once you’ve walked 3,500 steps every day for two weeks, consider boosting your daily step goal to 4,500 and build from there.
How to convert steps into miles and minutes
Because every person’s stride is slightly different, the number of steps that equals one mile varies from one person to another. Similarly, steps-to-distance conversions depend on your walking speed.
That said, every 1,000 steps roughly equals a half-mile and 10 minutes. The chart below has done the math for you.
Steps | Miles | Minutes |
1,000 | 0.5 | 10 |
3,000 | 1.5 | 30 |
5,000 | 2.5 | 50 |
8,000 | 4 | 80 |
10,000 | 5 | 100 |
The miles and minutes associated with 10,000 steps may look like a lot. However, these steps won’t all come from planned walking. You likely take more steps than you realize during routine activities, such as navigating the grocery store or walking from your car to an office building, says Dr. Jagim. For this reason, a step counter can come in handy, as it will capture all your daily movement.
How to increase your step count
Look for ways to add steps to your daily routine as well as to planned walks.
Daily routine
To sneak in more steps during everyday activities, use the following ideas for inspiration.
When unloading groceries, carry only one or two bags into your home at a time. That way, you’ll take extra steps each time you return to the car for another bag.
Always use the bathroom that is farthest from your current location. So if you’re currently on the first floor of a two-story home, use the second-floor bathroom instead of the one on the first floor.
Whenever you’re on the phone, use a headset so you can walk around your home or office.
As much as possible, refuse to use moving walkways, escalators and elevators.
Use the parking space farthest from your destination rather than the one that’s closest.
When grocery shopping, walk down every aisle rather than skipping the ones you don’t need.
Do a lap or two around a mall as you wait for your family member to try on clothes.
Pace along the sidelines as you cheer on children or grandchildren during their sporting events and other activities.
Set an alarm whenever you’re in front of your computer or television. Every 60 minutes or so, get up and move for a minute or more.
Planned activity
Your routine daily activities, mentioned above, will likely get you at least a third of your way to your step goal. Use planned walking sessions to fill in the rest.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to complete all your planned walking time at once. Walking for 10 minutes three times a day offers just as much of a health boost as walking for 30 minutes all at once.
One way to encourage yourself to get in more planned walking time is to do it with a family member or friend. Alternatively, you can walk with a pet. Research has shown that people who have a dog are more likely to get in more steps throughout the week than are people who don’t have a dog.