Do You Really Need 10K Steps a Day?

Exercise is an essential part of our wellness routine. Getting up and moving around is critical, especially if we work in a job that involves a lot of sitting. Some studies say that sitting is the new smoking, but how much moving do we really need to do in a day? For years, we’ve been told that 10,000 steps per day is the benchmark we should aim for. However, a new study sheds light on the actual importance of that number.

CNN reported on a study published in the journal Lancet Public Health. Dr. Melody Ding, a professor of public health at the University of Sydney, and a team of researchers examined 31 studies to determine the impact of step count on multiple health factors. The study highlighted the benefits of taking daily steps.

By Wix

You Should Aim For 7K Steps a Day—But 10K Won't Hurt

According to the study, adults should get a minimum of 2,000 steps per day. Adults who took 7,000 steps per day had a 47% lower risk of death from all causes. They also lowered their risk of cardiovascular disease to 25% and had a 38% lower risk of dementia.

Dr. Ding shared her thoughts about step goals with CNN in an email.

“More than 7k doesn’t do harm, and may even offer some additional benefits,” she wrote. “If one is already very active and doing 10+k a day, they definitely don’t need to hold back and go back to 7k!”

She also noted that due to many people’s sedentary lifestyles, establishing a routine and being physically active can have a substantial impact.

By Wix

Interestingly, the 10,000 steps that we’ve been instructed to walk likely originated from a marketing ploy, according to Harvard Health Publishing. A 2019 study traced the benchmark back to 1965 to a device called the Manpo-kei, marketed in Japan, that translates to “10,000 steps meter.”

Ultimately, getting up and moving around is essential. We should focus less on the number and more on staying active to reap the overall health benefits.

“Accumulating daily steps offers a broad range of health benefits. Even low step counts, such as 4k, offer health benefits than lower step counts,” Dr. Ding shared.