Do You Really Need 10,000 Steps a Day?
We’ll dive into where the 10,000-step goal came from, what research says, and how you can make steps towards your own goal.
Where Did 10,000 Steps Come From?
Following the excitement of the 1964 Olympics, Japan experienced a cultural shift toward embracing physical activity on an individual level.
A Japanese company, Yamasa Tokei Keiki Co. (now YAMAX), had previously specialized in manufacturing industrial aircraft instruments and clocks. In 1965, however, the company changed direction by developing and launching the first commercially available pedometer.
The pedometer was called the Manpo Meter. Manpo means "10,000 steps," and the device was heavily marketed with the slogan, "Healthcare with 10,000 Steps/Day."
The Manpo Meter
There is no readily available information from YAMAX explaining how or why the 10,000-step goal was chosen. However, other sources, such as UCLA Health (2023), suggest the number was selected because it was simple, memorable, and appealing.
Interestingly too, the kanji (Japanese characters) for 10,000 resembles a person walking. Not bad for a marketing campaign!
The kanji for "10,000" (ten thousand)
I think I saw him take a step!
Although a marketing campaign, the 10,000 step frenzy has sparked a larger conversation within the health and fitness community about the risks of sedentary behaviors and the many benefits of living a more active lifestyle.
WHAT IF I DON’T GET 10,000 STEPS?
The average American typically takes between 4,000 and 5,000 steps per day.
While there are no established parameters for defining a sedentary lifestyle based solely on step count, several publications suggest that fewer than 5,000 steps per day is generally considered a sedentary level of activity (Bassett et al., 2017; Agusala, 2025).
Effects of Sedentary Behavior
Sedentary behavior has been associated with numerous negative outcomes across the body. Some of negative effects include:
higher risk of death from cardiovascular disease
certain types of cancers
diabetes
high cholestrol
joint pain
osteoporosis
depression
cognitive decline
(Goyal & Rakhra, 2024)
WHAT STUDIES SHOW ON 10,000 STEPS
Study 1
One study conducted on 18,000 women between 2011 and 2015 found that an average of approximately 4,400 steps per day had been significantly associated with lower mortality rates compared with approximately 2,700 steps per day.
The more steps taken over 4,400 a day, were associated with steady declines in mortality rates up to approximately 7,500 steps a day, where these mortality rates leveled (Lee et al., 2019).
It is important to recognize that participants started the study averaging only about 2,700 steps per day. If you are already moving more than this amount each day, the impact of simply adding more steps may not be as dramatic, since you are already benefiting from a higher level of daily activity.
(Lee et al., 2019)
Study 2
In 2016, researchers conducted a 12-week step-based program with 35 overweight participants, who were instructed to accumulate 10,000 steps per day on a minimum of five days each week.
At the beginning of the study, participants averaged fewer than 5,000 steps per day.
Of the 35 participants, 30 had reached this goal and reported lower anxiety, depression, anger, fatigue, confusion, and total mood distress scores compared with measurements taken prior to the intervention.
Regarding physical health, the participants who accrued 10,000 steps a day had significantly lower body weight, waist circumference, and body fat percentage.
Average weight difference: -3.36 Lbs
Average waist circumference difference: -0.91 inches
Body Fat Percentage: -3.15%
The study concluded that the effect of walking with the goal of accumulating 10,000 steps per day results improved scores in decreased tension, depression, anger, fatigue, confusion, and total mood distress, as well as improved vigor (physical energy and strength) in overweight adults with sedentary lifestyle.
To note, this study had a relatively small group and most of the participants were females . Therefore, results cannot be used to draw conclusions for the whole population.
(Yuenyongchaiwat, 2016)
Study 3
In a more recent study conducted in 2023, researchers wanted to find the association between the number of days taking a sufficient number of steps throughout the week and mortality among US adults.
Data from 2005-2006 was analyzed and the 10-year follow up was conducted in 2019 and analyzed between 2022 and 2023.
In this study, 3,101 participants were grouped based on the number of days per week that they took 8,000 steps or more.
Over the 10 year follow up it was found:
all-cause mortality risk was higher in individuals that did not take 8,000 steps or more at least once a week.
the risk of mortality at 10 years rapidly decreased as the number of days per week taking 8,000 steps or more increased and plateaued at 3 to 4 days
To note, the daily steps analyzed were only measured for 1 week at the participants baseline. To add, it was reported that the pedometer missed 20% of daily steps in the adults with obesity when walking at a moderate pace.
Study 4
A meta-analysis of 15 studies conducted in 2022 found that taking more steps per day was associated with progressively lower mortality risk.
For adults under 60, the risk plateaued at approximately 8000–10 000 steps per day.
For adults over 60, the risk plateaued at approximately 6,000-8,000 steps per day.
These findings suggest the mortality benefits, especially in older adults, can be seen at levels less than the 10,000 steps a day.
What’s the magic number?
As we are all uniquely built and have different lifestyles, it’s safe to say that there is no one magic number.
If you are a relatively-healthy and able adult already reaching around 5,000 steps, you may very well see benefits with increasing your daily steps.
10,000 steps a day is a nice round number… but studies show that benefits can be seen around 8,000!
Should it stress you to reach this goal every day? No.
Start small. If you are currently averaging between less than 5,000 steps a day, make a goal to add in an extra 500-1,000 steps in your day, and continue to move your step count in increments as this new number becomes more habitual.
Bottom line?
10,000 steps a day is great, but somewhere between 8,000 and 10,000 seems to be a sweet spot.
HOW TO GET MORE STEPS
Creating habits for a more active you.
Use parking spaces farthest from your destination, rather than the closest
Pace around your home or yard while catching up on calls
Skip the elevator or escalator and go for the stairs
Nothing to do? Take a walk and put on a podcast
Break your day into mini goals (2,000 steps by 10AM, 4,000 by 2PM, etc)
About the Author
Hayley Kauffman, LPN is a Licensed Practical Nurse and NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Nutrition Coach with a passion for helping people improve their health through evidence-based fitness, nutrition, and sustainable lifestyle habits. She believes lasting results come from building realistic routines that fit each person's unique goals and lifestyle.
Educational Disclaimer
The information provided in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. It should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Always consult your physician or another qualified healthcare provider before beginning any new exercise, nutrition, or wellness program, especially if you have any underlying health conditions or concerns.
REFERENCES
Goyal, J., & Rakhra, G. (2024). Sedentarism and chronic health problems. Korean Journal of Family Medicine, 45(5), 239–257. https://doi.org/10.4082/kjfm.24.0099
Lee, I.-M., Shiroma, E. J., Kamada, M., Bassett, D. R., Matthews, C. E., & Buring, J. E. (2019). Association of step volume and intensity with all-cause mortality in older women. JAMA Internal Medicine, 179(8), 1105–1112. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2019.0899
Tudor-Locke, C., & Bassett, D. R., Jr. (2004). How many steps/day are enough? Preliminary pedometer indices for public health. Sports Medicine, 34(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200434010-00001
Yuenyongchaiwat, K. (2016). Effects of 10,000 steps a day on physical and mental health in overweight participants in a community setting: A preliminary study. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, 20(4), 367–373. https://doi.org/10.1590/bjpt-rbf.2014.0160
