Why is 10,000 steps the “magic number”?
Research shows that it is not so important that you hit exactly 10,000 steps. More exercise gives better health, but how much training and exercise we need to improve – and maintain – good health is uncertain.
In fact, 10,000 steps does not come from research at all – it is the result of a Japanese advertising campaign for pedometers.
After the Olympics in Japan, the Japanese had a focus on physical activity, and the pedometer “manpo-kei”, which translates from Japanese as “10,000 steps meter”, was launched. The Japanese and the rest of the world took the message to heart, and today this step goal is built into almost all smartphones and watches.
What does the research say, and how many steps do we “actually” need?
Although the goal of exactly 10,000 steps does not come from research, it is still a good daily goal as it gives health effects. A large American study looked at the relationship between the number of steps and health. They studied nearly 5000 people who wore a pedometer seven days a week for several years, and then looked for the same people in the death statistics 10–11 years later. They found that those who walked the most – lived the longest!
The American researchers found that the risk of early death was 50% lower among those who walked 8000 steps a day than among those who walked only 4000 steps. So 8000 steps was very good for health, but 10,000 steps was even better and gave a somewhat lower risk of early death still. However, the difference between 10,000 and 12,000 steps was not as large.
Two new studies from last year showed that there were large health benefits from increasing the number of steps taken each day. An increase in the number of steps was linked to less heart disease, stroke and heart failure, as well as various types of cancer and dementia.
Is it the same regardless of walking pace?
It is not only the number of steps that matters; it is just as important to have a certain intensity in the activity we do. The studies also showed that when the intensity of walking increased, the risk of heart problems, cancer and dementia fell!
Counting the number of steps can be a simple way to measure your daily activity and can work for those who do not have a structured training routine. To increase the health benefits, you should also increase the intensity. Being a little physically active is always better than being inactive. Adults who do not meet the WHO recommendations on daily physical activity (at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate intensity or at least 75 to 150 minutes of high intensity per week) will gain health benefits by increasing their daily activity a little. It is wise to start with small amounts of activity and gradually increase how often, how hard and how long you do it.
We cannot say that you are in good health if you reach the goal of 10,000 steps every day, but we do know that an active life starts with good choices. Perhaps the first good choice is a goal of increasing the number of steps you take each day?
References:
– Association of Daily Step Count and Step Intensity With Mortality Among US Adults, Saint-Maurice PF, m.fl
JAMA mars 2020.
I-Min Lee, MBBS, ScD 1,2; Eric J. Shiroma, ScD 3; Masamitsu Kamada, PhD 4; et al
David R. Bassett, PhD 5; Charles E. Matthews, PhD 6; Julie E. Buring, ScD 1,2
JAMA Intern Med. 2019;179(8):1105-1112. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.0899
. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2734709
Borja del Pozo Cruz, PhD 1; Matthew Ahmadi, PhD 2; Sharon L. Naismith, PhD 3; et al
Emmanuel Stamatakis, PhD 4
JAMA Neurol. 2022;79(10):1059-1063. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.2672
Borja del Pozo Cruz, PhD 1; Matthew N. Ahmadi, PhD 2; I-Min Lee, MBBS, ScD 3,4; et al
Emmanuel Stamatakis, PhD 2
JAMA Intern Med. 2022;182(11):1139-1148. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.4000
Helsedirektoratet https://www.helsedirektoratet.no/faglige-rad/fysisk-aktivitet-i-forebygging-og-behandling/voksne-og-eldre#voksne-og-eldre-bor-vaere-regelmessig-fysisk-aktive-praktisk