Most of us have heard that if we want to improve our health we should walk 10,000 steps a day. Did you ever wonder how they arrived at that number?
It came from a marketing strategy of a Japanese pedometer maker in 1965. They picked the number 10,000 because the Japanese character for that number, shown above, resembles a man walking. They called their pedometer the Japanese name for “the 10,000-step meter.” Since then the 10,000-step rule has been adopted by a lot of people and is built into fitness apps.
Is there any truth to the rule? I-Min Lee, a professor of epidemiology at Harvard University, decided to test it on over 16000 older women. She found that the average number of steps they took each day did affect mortality.
The basic finding was that at 4,400 steps per day, these women had significantly lower mortality rates compared to the least active women…. If they did more, their mortality rates continued to drop, until they reached about 7,500 steps, at which point the rates leveled out.
—What 10,000 Steps Will Really Get You
And, of course, pedometers don’t measure other activities that are just as healthy.
As usual, we can’t believe everything we are told. My hat does go off to the cleverness of the pedometer makers.
June 2, 2019
Oh wow.
That kinda burns me. That it’s been used to lecture us and it was all marketing.
I had a doctor tell me I needed to be more active and walk 10 -12k steps a day.
I walk 16.
Remember the old pyramid with white bread and red meat and whole milk?
And they used to say cigarettes helped with a variety of things.
I remember a friend of mines mother telling us how ridiculous we were to buy workout clothes and take classes and yet do everything possible to multitask and save steps. She said if we just worked hard around the house and really cleaned without all the modern conveniences, we’d stay fit.
Kinda brings to mind a certain man who walking through snow and cutting down trees while men half his age have beer bellies.
I wonder how many steps a day Andy walks! Lol!
Anyway…it was brilliant marketing on the part of the Japanese.
Yes, Andy has a pedometer and often walks a lot more than 10,000.
The food advice I remember the most is for breakfast: Fruit, Cereal, Milk, Bread and Butter. White bread, of course. And not whole-grain cereal.
That is some very interesting information. Mom doesn’t keep track on a daily basis, but she almost always hits at least 10,000. We help by getting her to take us for our daily walks.
Woos – Lightning, Misty, and Timber
Yes, pups are a big help about exercise. 🙂
I only get an average of 5,000 to 7,500 steps in on an average day and feel guilty about that.
The great thing about the article is you should be patting yourself on the back, not feeling guilty.
My goal for health is 7,500 steps and been thinking of increase. Water 40 oz and that hard for me. Very last thing is no food after seven in evening and right around then I have a little protein it seem to hold me a lot better.
What is the argument for no food after 7? I’ve heard that, but it doesn’t work for me. I would have trouble sleeping if I did that. One of my constraints is to balance my protein and grains with at least as much fruits and vegetables.
I have no idea how many steps I create daily and am not about to go down that route. I do try to vary what I do, particularly when I’m “making” – I have my big cutter in another room, which means I have to get up and go in there…I’m about to buy a different cutter, but it will be in another room, just because I have a flat surface for it to reside on…Today, I took my chair out to the porch, so that when I needed a change – I went out there…I was mostly standing between times.
When I was moving things from shed to house this arvo, I felt hungry and that’s when this happens. As for food intake, that varies as well…so involved with things today – didn’t have lunch until around 2pm after I had cooked it (remembered to check clock oops it’s 1.15pm)!!!!
Of course having no car, I do get a lot of exercise when I’m out and about…
Yes, you get plenty of exercise without having to think about it!
I’ve often wondered how many steps a day I’m taking – A part of me wants to know, the other just thinks if I do find out, I’ll see what a slacker I am! But people really do put a lot of stock in that 10,000 steps a day, and there’s no convincing them otherwise, is there?
One of the main points of the article is to stop people from feeling guilty or from assuming 10,000 steps would be impossible for them so it isn’t worth doing anything. I find it hard to believe you don’t stay active enough!
Most days I walk at a fair clip for 45 to 55 minutes. I don’t have a pedometer, but I think I’m doing okay…at any rate, if I don’t walk that distance, I feel sluggish, so it’s an indication that it’s good for me. So far, I haven’t had a need to measure my steps, but may be headed that way —just out of curiosity!
You don’t need a pedometer. The Mayo Clinic says,
So you are doing great!
For the last year or so, I’ve been exercising very regularly, mostly aerobic on a stationary bike or stair-climber, at a high setting to get a vigorous workout. I need to lose weight because of heart and blood pressure issues, but haven’t been very successful. I’ve also recently been diagnosed as pre-diabetic, which adds to the need to lose weight.
I’ve successfully lost weight in the past. Those successes were a result of (1) not snacking stupidly and (2) putting in the time to walk — a lot of time. So, after my last visit with the doctor three weeks ago and no improvement in my A1C, I’m back to it. No stupidly snacking and walking 1.5 to 2 hours a day, 6 days a week — and then I do stuff around home that adds more steps. One day last week, I had 15,000 steps according to my iPhone health app.
I put in the time and don’t concentrate on the steps. I’m down 4 pounds since the last doctor visit. Now all I have to do is keep at it.
I think you’re right about not worrying about the steps, concentrate on the time instead. Pedometers don’t work for me because they don’t count what I do on the treadmill or stair stepper How dumb in that?! The main thing is to try to make it pleasurable. I listen to audible books and watch videos I stream on my Roku.
I used to use a fitbit and keep track of my steps. I haven’t worn it in a long time and I know that I most likely don’t come close to the 10,000. Now I don’t have to feel so bad because I’m pretty sure that at least on the days I work I do get in the 7500
Yes, I imagine with your job you are getting plenty of exercise. 🙂
the more I learn the more I think that EVERYTHING we’ve been told or taught should be questioned as to its validity. about the only thing you can be exactly sure of is that it’s making someone a load of money! LOL
whenever we became a ‘buyers and sellers society’ (world wide now?) we have to take everything like this with a grain of salt.
to feel good we must keep moving. to be well we should practice moderation.
that’s enough right there to help most people… if they do it! 😀
maybe too simple? but simple is what works for me.
Not everything we’ve been told that is incorrect is because of money. When I was a kid I was told a lot of old wives’ tales that weren’t true, but they were passed on with good intentions. Andy and I believe in research, so we are more apt to read about how other researchers have checked out ideas. It’s not all “fake news”.
All those times I spent trying to get in my final steps were worthless?!!!
I’m with Tammy, take all diet/exercise advice with a healthy dose of disbelief then do whatever makes YOU feel better.
Andy and I used to subscribe to a lot of health newsletters to see what they had to say about latest findings about diet, exercise, etc. Sometimes they had good ideas. We have whittled the number down to three now — one about nutrition, one about healthy aging, the last about recent developments in medicine. It works for us.
I have no idea how many steps I take every day, and have to admit I have no burning desire to find out. I get plenty of exercise, so I assume that amounts to enough daily steps to keep me fit and healthy. Interesting that the maximum beneficial number of steps seems to be 7,500 rather than the much-vaunted 10,000!
It was too great a story not to share. I’m still smiling about it.